That Fateful Night
by apple01
Summary: Brooke Davis Scott was living the ideal life. She was happily married, had two wonderful kids, and a great job. But one secret that she's been keeping from everyone could change everything for her. BLN triangle. Brathan ending. Complete!
1. Chapter 1

Hey guys! This is my first story. Please tell me if you like it and if you want me to continue or if it's not a good idea. Thanks!

**That Fateful Night**

Brooke Scott ran around her house trying to clean up after her two kids, Aaron and Shelly. Lucas would be home soon and she wanted the house to look nice for their family dinner. Nathan, Haley, and their son James would also be joining them. Aaron was a lively five year old child with a love for basketball, like his father. He was 100 Lucas, from the blonde hair to the blue eyes. Shelly, on the other hand, was two and a half. Having more of her mother's personality, she was stubborn but a sweetheart inside. She had raven colored hair and dark blue eyes. Whenever Brooke looked at her, she remembered that night, and the secret that she had kept for two and a half years.

"Shel sweetie, can you please come here so that mommy can fix your face?" Brooke said. Shelly had Brookes makeup all over her face and resembled a clown.

"Nope, me like makeup" the little girl said as she jumped on the couch.

"Mommy, when's daddy coming home?" Aaron asked.

"Don't worry Daddy's here," Lucas said as he entered his and Brooke's three story house.

After giving his son and daughter hugs and kisses, Lucas went to Brooke.

"Long day?" he asked

"You have no idea" Brooke laughed as she kissed her husband. "Want to get the kids ready while I go finish up dinner?"

"Sure. Nate and Hales will be here in a sec just so you know. They are excited about your surprise news and so am I," he said as he picked up the kids and started up the stairs.

Lucas coached the Tree Hill Ravens while Brooke was a stay home fashion designer of her clothing line, Clothes over Bros. Nathan took over Dan's car dealership after his death and Haley worked as a teacher at Tree Hill Elementary. Their son James was four and loved playing with Aaron and Shelly.

As she checked on her chicken, Brooke heard Lucas run downstairs.

"Cheery, why in the world does Shelly look like a clown?" he asked.

"The art of make up." Brooke laughed as the doorbell rang, signaling the arrival of her guests.

**That's the first chapter! Please Review! I want to know what you think. Thanks**


	2. Chapter 2

**Hey guys! Thanks for the reviews. I'm going to make this a Brathan, like most of you requested. This is chapter two. Tell me what you think and please review!! If you have any ideas at all please tell me. Thanks! Oh and to your question about Brooke's secret, you will find out in chapter three.**

"Tutorfamily!" Brooke exclaimed as she opened the door.

"Hey Tigger," Haley said as she made her way inside with James, a pissed off look on her face.

"Is it just me or is Haley mad?" Brooke asked Nathan.

"Oh she's mad. Come on, let's go to the kitchen I'll explain," he replied.

As they made their way to the kitchen Shelly ran up to Nate, make-up still on her face, and gave him a big hug. Shel got along with Nate better than anyone, sometimes even more than Brooke and Lucas.

"Uncle Natey!! Tutorfamily here?" she asked

"Yes princess, Tutorfamily's here," Nathan said as he laughed. "And what in the world did you do to your face?"

"Mommy make-up fun" Shelly said.

Nathan laughed. As Brooke watched Nathan and Shelly she felt like her heart was being squeezed. How much longer could she not tell him? Did he already know? They looked so much alike.

"Baby girl, why don't you go get Tutormom to wash your face and let me and uncle Natey talk?" Brooke said.

"Okie dokie," Shelly said as she kissed Nathan on the cheek and jump off to find her aunt, leaving a huge bright red kiss mark on Nathan's cheek.

"Here let me help you get that off," Brooke said as she wetted a piece of paper towel. At the touch of his face, she felt a tingling sensation throughout her body but she just waved it away. "So…what's the deal with you and Hales?"

"Thanks. Um… she says that I'm holding her from her dreams. She wants to go back on tour again. And with no other than Chris Keller…that asshole."

"No! He almost destroyed your marriage!"

"That's what I said. I don't know Brooke….out marriage has been over for a long time now. The only reason we're together is for James. Maybe it's time we ended things. For the past year I've been looking for a reason to move on….maybe one day I'll find it."

That sentence, _Our marriage has been over for a long time_ triggered Brooke to think of _that_ night.

"Brooke? Hello Brooke?" Nathan said as he waved a hand in front of her face, bringing Brooke back to reality.

"Oh sorry, I kindof spaced out"

"You mean like usual?" he joked

"Hey!" Brooke said as she hit him.

"Abuse! Abuse! Call Abuse Control!" Nathan said while trying to avoid Brooke's playful swats. Then he turned to Brooke's dish of lasagna. "And what in the world are you cooking? Call Poison Control too! Can't we just order some pizza?" Swat.

By this time Brooke was laughing really hard. She hadn't laughed this hard in a long time. Lucas was always working and with the kids being busy-bodies, they hadn't had any alone time in a while. It felt good…her….Nathan…laughing like this. But of course, the fun always has to end.

"Hey Brooke, can we start dinner right now? The kids are getting restless," Lucas said as he came into the kitchen.

"Sure," she said. How could she hurt her husband of six years? What would he say if he found out the truth? With a quick glance towards Nathan, Brooke followed her husband out to the dining table.

When they were all seated, Shelly came running in, face cleaned of all make up, and jumped into Nathan's lap.

"I see someone got their face cleaned," Nathan teased

"Me want to be big girl. Me like make up," Shelly said with a pouted face.

As the two talked, Brooke couldn't help but catch Lucas looking at them. Did he know? It was pretty obvious and at times she had a feeling that he knew the truth. However, he would never think that she did such a thing. But she had. On the one fateful night.


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Thanks for the reviews! Someone said that they wanted a Laley also but I wanted to know if more people wanted that or not so please tell me if you do. If you have any ideas regarding the story or anything you want to see in the future please tell me!**

After Haley, Nathan, and James left the house and Lucas and the kids were upstairs sleeping, Brooke snuck downstairs to think to herself. She had had a feeling about Shelly not being Lucas' for a long time. And just the previous week it had been confirmed with a DNA test. Shelly Elizabeth Scott was not Lucas Scott's daughter, but Nathan's. The guy who was supposed to be her uncle was her father. And her supposed father was really her uncle. It was one night, one mistake, one give into temptation that ruined Brooke Scott's perfect life.

**Flashback Start**

_Brooke and Lucas were having problems for the past week. And with Haley away in New York for a teaching conference, Brooke had taken comfort in Nathan. After a huge fight about Lucas working way too late and leaving Brooke to take care of Aaron with no help, Brooke had fled the house. Running away into the midnight rain, she ended up on Nathan's doorstep. As he opened the door to find a disheveled and soaked Brooke with a cascade of tears running down her face, he let her in, no question asked. _

_They talked, he comforted her. She cried, he hugged. He had said that his marriage had been over for a long time and that he hoped hers would get better too. Then that one moment approached. Nathan said that she was a beautiful, talented and wonderful mother. And any guy would be so fortunate to have her as his wife. Brooke had looked up, and in that moment she felt one thing: love. Love from the last person she would have thought of. So with their lips a few inches apart, she kissed him. And that kiss had turned into so much more. A night of passion, of desire, of betrayal, and mostly of love._

_The morning after, Brooke left before Nathan could wake up. They never mentioned that night. Not one word. But inside, they both remembered it like it was yesterday. They remembered the night of passion that changed everything. And although it was deemed a mistake, inside they both felt like it wasn't. _

**Flashback End**

She couldn't do it anymore. She couldn't lie. She couldn't hide it anymore. She had to tell them, both of them.

At the sound of the doorbell, Nathan Scott walked downstairs. He looked at the clock. 1:45 AM. Who the hell was at his house at this hour? As he opened the door, he found a frightened looking Brooke. Oddly, memories of that night came to mind, both of them being in the same position.

Nathan closed the door and stood outside, hopefully not waking Haley up. "Brooke what are you doing here at one in the morning?"

"I have to tell you something, and you may hate me forever but I have to tell you."

"I know, Brooke. I know."

"No, Nathan, you don't know, that's the problem."

"Shelly's my daughter isn't she?"

Instead of him being in shock, it was her turn. She was speechless but then again it was kind of obvious.

"I figured it out between the raven colored hair and the dark blue eyes" he said when she didn't respond.

"Yeah, she's yours. Nathan what do we do? I can't keep on lying like this! It's not fair to Luke or to Haley."

"Then we tell them. Me and Haley are getting a divorce anyway."

"You're what?!"

"We decided when we came home from your house. She's going on tour with Chris after it's all settled."

"Wow…." Brooke didn't know why but inside she felt some relief. She shouldn't be happy that her best friend and her husband were divorcing but a part of her was. "Nathan…if Luke doesn't take this well and he leaves me and Shelly…"

"Then I will be here for you and for my daughter." Daughter. That word brought a smile to his lips. Nathan liked the sound of that. He had a daughter. He always wanted a girl and he finally had one. "I won't abandon you Brooke. I loved that little girl ever since she was born, even thought I was her uncle. You two always have me. I promise."

With those words, Brooke Scott-soon-to-be-Davis-again felt strength. She felt reassured. And most of all, she felt loved.

**Please R and R!!! Thanks!**


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Hey! Thanks for the reviews! This is the chapter four. Expect some big drama coming up. And some tension between B/L/N. If you have any suggestions or anything you want to see in the upcoming chapters of the story PLEASE tell me! Thanks!**

Brooke entered her house at 3:04 AM. As she walked in, she saw a worried Lucas.

"Oh God, Brooke are you ok?! I woke up and you weren't at home and I thought something happened to you," he said, rushing towards her.

Brooke felt tears form in her eyes, dangerously building up and then falling down slowly on her cheeks. "Lucas….we need to talk."

"Baby what's wrong?"

"I did something horrible and you will probably never forgive me and hate me forever but I have to tell you the truth. I just want you to know that I love you and I'm so sorry."

"Brooke….sweetie you can tell me anything, you know that."

"Remember that big fight we had when Aaron was younger and you were working non-stop?"

"Yeah…."

"After the fight I went over to Nathan's."

Lucas opened his mouth to speak but Brooke held up her hand to silence him. He shouldn't be nice to her. She cheated. She broke their marriage vows.

"I slept with him. Shelly isn't you child. She's Nathan's."

Lucas felt like someone stabbed him in the stomach. His face turned white as a sheet and his eyes filled with anger and hurt. It occasionally bothered him that Shelly did not look like him or Brooke but he had passed it on, saying that she had inherited Dan's genes or something. Brooke would never do that to him. But those words _She's Nathan's_ proved him wrong. She had.

"Get out."

"Lucas…"

"Get out. Get the hell out of my house! Two and a half damn years Brooke! Two and a half damn years! You lied to me. First you cheat on me with my brother and then you make me believe that Shelly is my daughter when really I'm her uncle! Damn you! Get out!" Lucas screamed. How could she do this to him? Had she not loved him? And with his own brother!

Brooke didn't need a second command. Crying her heart out, she went upstairs and stuffed as much as she could into a suitcase. Then she went into Shelly's and Aaron's room, got their stuff, and went downstairs. With her two children in her arms and a suitcase in one hand, Brooke Scott-soon-to-be-Davis made her way to the front door.

Before she opened the door she turned around and stared at the man who once held so much love for her. Now as she looked into his eyes, there was contempt, sorrow, and most of all betrayal.

"I'm so sorry," she uttered before she escaped into the cold winds of September.

She had lost the one man she truly loved because of one mistake. After putting both kids in the backseat, Brooke sat down in the front and collapsed. She cried for her husband, for her children, for her past sins, for Nathan, for Haley and James, for her future which was currently uncertain and for her marriage, which in her eyes was soon to end.

**000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000**

Nathan walked back inside his house after Brooke left and found a furious and crying Haley. She had a suitcase in each hand and James resting upon her hip. She had heard everything.

"You cheating lying bastard!" she said as she slapped Nathan across the face. The sound echoed throughout their house. "How could you?"

Nathan was speechless. What could he say? He had screwed up big time.

"How could you Nathan? We have a four year old kid! We've been married since high school! I thought we loved each other," she continued. "You know, after we came from Lucas's I was seriously considering giving up the tour again so that we could save our marriage. But now, I know that it would've been a waste because I have cheating man whore of a husband. This marriage is done. Expect a call from my lawyer in the morning. I'm going to my parents'."

Haley made her way to the door, away from the one person she had truly loved. But his voice made her pause.

"Haley…I'm sorry," he said.

"Yeah, well so am I." She stormed out the door leaving Nathan Scott all alone in his house.

Their marriage was over. Done. And he was left all alone.

**Please R & R!! I would love to know what you're thinking!**


	5. Chapter 5

**Hola! Hope you guys enjoy this chapter! If any of you have ideas that you want in the upcoming chapters please tell me, b/c I could use all the help that I get. Enjoy: )**

Nathan was sitting on his couch when the doorbell rang. When he opened it, a broken Brooke was revealed. Her eyes were red and puffy, tears expelling from them. A sleeping Shelly and Aaron were in each arm along with a suitcase, which he assumed contained her only remaining belongings. As she stepped inside the house, Nathan took the kids while leading her to the couch. He put the kids to bed and went downstairs to comfort his brother's wife.

"Brooke…" he said.

She collapsed in his arms, sobbing furiously. He held her tightly, trying to protect her and keep her safe. He was all she had left.

**00000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000**

Brooke awoke to find herself lying on a couch in no other than Nathan's arms. It felt good being in his arms. It felt safe and comforting. Despite that, though, she had to get up. Making her way to the bathroom, she spotted her kids in the guest bedroom, sleeping soundly, oblivious to the drama from the previous night. As she looked into the bathroom mirror, what she saw shocked her. She looked unfamiliar, like a totally different person. Her eyes were puffy and red from the continuous tears. Mascara mixed and eye liner remains lined her cheeks. And her hair was tangled and disheveled. The always perfect Brooke wasn't so perfect anymore.

**00000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000**

Nathan woke up to find the couch half empty. He immediately looked around for Brooke. Last night she was a wreck. God he hoped she was okay. As he made his way towards the kitchen, an aroma of pancakes and syrup filled his nose. There in the kitchen, standing in an apron with a box of pancake mix in one hand and a big wooden spoon in the other, was no other than Brooke. Despite their current situation, Nathan had to laugh.

"Brooke, what in the world are you doing?" he asked.

"What does it look like I'm doing, smartass? I'm making pancakes."

He laughed.

"Nathan Scott stop laughing or I will hit you with this…" she waved the spoon around "…thing."

He doubled over with laughter. Eventually, Brooke started laughing too.

"You idiot," she said as she threw pancake mix at his head.

Thump!

"Oh, no you didn't," Nathan exclaimed as he felt the gooey substance cascade down his forehead. He got the packet of eggs and threw an egg into Brooke's now perfectly groomed hair.

"Nathan Lee Scott!"

For a second, each glared at the other. Then, as if they were thinking the same thing, they reached for the closest thing and started throwing it at each other. Eggs, mix, syrup, blueberries, chocolate chips, and butter were flying all over the place.

By the time Brooke and Nathan had attacked each other, little Aaron had woken up from his sleep.

"Mommy, Uncle Nate, what are you doing?" he asked.

The two adults stopped in their tracks, their faces resembling a deer caught in the headlights, before they both starting bursting out in laughter.

"Umm…we were cooking," Nathan said.

"Oh. Mommy, why are we at Uncle Nate's? Where's Daddy?"

At that one question, the fun suddenly ceased. The air suddenly filled with tension. And the previous night's events suddenly caught up with Brooke and Nathan.

"Umm baby, Daddy is at home. Mommy decided to give Uncle Nate a visit so I brought you and Shelly along. Doesn't the sound like fun?"

"Yeah. Uncle Nate, can I go watch some basketball?"

"Sure Aaron."

As Aaron retreated into the living room, Nathan swiftly turned to Brooke.

"Brooke…" he said as he turned her body to face his, revealing a few tears.

"Nathan, what am I going to do? How am I going to tell a five year old boy that I cheated on his father? And how am I going to tell Shelly that you're her dad, not Lucas?"

"Shhh…Brooke, you can do this. We can do this, together. Like I said yesterday, I'll help you get through this. I'm here for you and I will always be here for you. We'll talk to Lucas and Haley and settle this mess later. But for now, we are going to clean this mess, make some damn good pancakes, and enjoy the morning."

She finally looked up. Their faces were now a couple inches apart. And as she stared into his mysterious blue eyes and him into her enchanting green ones, they started closing the gap between them until something in Brooke's head clicked. She jerked her head back and unraveled herself from Nathan's arms. What the heck was she doing? They weren't about to kiss, right? They were _just_ friends. God, she needed to get out of there.

"Umm….I gotta go," Brooke said as she rushed out of the door.

"Brooke! Brooke stop!" Nathan screamed outside but it was too late. She was already out of sight.

**000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000**

She ran as fast as her legs could take her. She needed to get out of there, away from Nathan, away from everything that was going on. She wanted to be free, free of pain, free of problems, free of feeling. All of a sudden, something suddenly came towards her. She heard a loud scream. And then everything went black.

**Please R & R!!!! I would LOVE to know what you think! And ideas are always helpful! **


	6. Chapter 6

**Bonjour! Hope everyone is having a splendid day! Hope you enjoy chapter 6. It incorporates Lucas, and he will be there for some of the upcoming chapters, but Brathan fans please do not worry. I have not forgotten about Nathan lol. Enjoy!**

Lucas Scott was lying on his bed, melancholy and loneliness taking over him. The house was oddly quiet without Brooke or the kids, a noise that was foreign to the Scott family. He missed her. He tried so hard to hate her. _She_ cheated on _him_ with his _brother_. It had felt like she had ripped his heart out and cut it in half. He should hate her. But he couldn't. He still loved her. And he hated the fact that he did.

The shrill ringing of the telephone brought Lucas back to reality. He sat up. Who the heck was calling?

"Hello, Scott residence."

"May I speak to Mr. Lucas Scott please?" Lucas could hear tons of commotion in the background. Wherever this guy was calling from must have been a busy place.

"This is he. How may I help you?"

"Mr. Scott, this is Tree Hill Hospital. I'm very sorry to disappoint you but your wife has been in a car accident. She is in critical condition. It would be best if you came to the hospital as soon as possible."

Lucas felt like his heart was getting ripped out all over again. Brooke. Car Accident. Critical Condition. The words repeatedly ran through his head.

"I'm on my way," he whispered before hanging up. He quickly got dressed and ran to his car. "God, please let Brooke be okay," he thought as he sped off to Tree Hill Hospital.

**000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000**

Nathan was sitting on a kitchen stool, his head resting in between his hands. He had fed the kids and they were currently being entertained by his 50" TV. How could he be such a dumb ass? Why did he try to kiss her? It was wrong on all levels. 1) She's still married. 2) To his brother. 3) He was still married. 4) They were both emotionally unstable. 5) He was starting to have feelings for her. Actually, he had started to have feeling for her for a while now. He just hadn't realized it until now.

"God, why is my love life so screwed up?" he said as he banged his head on the counter.

Suddenly the phone rang. Nathan rushed to it, half hoping it was Brooke, half hoping it wasn't.

"Hello?"

"Nathan…It's Lucas." He sounded like he had been crying. Suddenly, all Nathan's previous thoughts disappeared. Instead, fear filled him up. What was wrong? Luke _rarely_ cried.

"Luke, what's wrong? Are you ok?"

"It's Brooke." Nathan felt like his world was slowly falling apart.

"Man, what happened to Brooke?"

"She was running and a car hit her and she's in the hospital. Nate, they don't know if she'll be okay or not."

"I'm on my way," he said before he hung up. He slowly slid down the wall. This was his entire fault. That damn kiss. "God, please let Brooke be okay," he thought as he hurriedly made his way to the front door.

**000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000**

Nathan rushed into the hospital. Searching everywhere he finally found Lucas slumped in a rattled up chair. He looked like hell. _Of course he should, Nathan, he's her husband._

"Lucas! How is she?" Nathan asked as he rushed forward to his brother.

"I don't know. The doctors haven't come out yet. Nathan, I'm scared. What if she doesn't make it?"

"She'll make it. She's strong. She's a fighter, Luke."

"I hope so. I still don't know where the kids are. I went off on her last night and she left with the kids."

Nathan looked away guiltily. "Actually, they are at my house."

Lucas looked up at his brother. The brotherly moment was ruined as Luke's hate for his brother returned. Because of the accident, they had both forgot about last night's events and the secret from that fateful night. Lucas shook his head and smirked. His previously sad eyes turned hard and cold. "Unbelievable," he said as he got up and walked away from his brother.

"Lucas, nothing happened. She just needed a place to stay. We were both going through the same emotions with you kicking her out and Haley leaving me. She just needed a friend to comfort her." After he said it, Nathan quickly regretted it and knew that he shouldn't have.

"Well, I bet you did lots of comforting last night." He smirked.

"Lucas, it happened two and a half years ago! It was one mistake! It didn't mean anything!"

"Damn it Nathan you slept with my wife! That means something to me!" Lucas bellowed, drawing attention from the people around them.

"I'm sorry, ok? I'm sorry we hid it from you and I'm sorry Shelly is my daughter and I'm sorry it all blew up now!" he yelled back.

A nurse came storming up to them. "Sir, this a hospital! People are struggling for their lives. Either you stop arguing or I will kick you out. Your choice."

"Sorry," they both mumbled and sat down.

After an awkward silence, Nathan finally spoke up. "You can hate me all you want Luke. What I did was wrong. But for this one moment can you kindly forget about this and concentrate on why we are really here? For Brooke?"

"Yeah, I'm sorry," he said, a guilty look crossing his face.

At that exact moment, the doors to Brooke's room opened and a doctor came out. Both Nathan and Lucas jumped out of their seats.

The doctor looked at both men before saying, "We tried everything we could…"

**End of chapter! Sorry for leaving you hanging! If I have time later I may update but that depends on my schedule for today. **

**I HAVE A FAVOR! IF YOU HAVE ANY IDEAS AS TO WHAT SHOULD HAPPEN IN THE UPCOMING CHAPTERS OR SOMETHING YOU WANT TO SEE PLEASE TELL ME!! I'M KIND OF GETTING STUCK AS TO WHAT I SHOULD DO. **

**Thanks!! Please R & R!!!!!!!!!!**


	7. Chapter 7

**Hey guys!! I'm so sorry that I haven't updated recently!! I went out of town and just got back. Hope you guys enjoy the chapter!! I have a pretty good idea what I'm going to do with the rest of the story. Enjoy:)**

**00000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000**

_**Previously…**_

_**At that exact moment, the doors to Brooke's room opened and a doctor came out. Both Nathan and Lucas jumped out of their seats.**_

_**The doctor looked at both men before saying, "We tried everything we could…"**_

**000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000**

"…and we managed to save Brooke. However, she does not remember anything."

"What do you mean she doesn't remember anything?" Lucas exclaimed.

"I mean that she has temporary memory loss. It sometimes lasts for a week or a month or sometimes a year. It depends on her specific condition. Because of the crash, she suffered damage to the part of the brain that deals with your memory."

"Oh god, is she going to be okay though?" Nathan asked.

"Yes, she will be okay. She does have other minor problems but the memory loss is the biggest problem."

"Can we go see her?"

"Of course. She's awake. Please do not overwhelm her to try and remember. She is still in a critical state."

The doctor walked away leaving a relieved Nathan and a bewildered Lucas. Nathan rushed to the door but stopped short when he saw that Lucas wasn't following in suit.

"Luke, I know your are still mad about me and Brooke but you can't not visit her!"

"I just…I dunno…I…"

"Lucas, she needs us. She needs you."

"Ok." Lucas said as he walked towards his brother, frightened to see the state of his wife.

Both men slowly made their way to Brooke's bed. Nathan's heart went out to her. She had a big cut on her forehead, her arm was in a cast, and bruises were scattered along many parts of her body. He felt responsible for her current state. She looked so fragile and helpless in her nightgown, an outfit she would normally be repulsed by. He just wanted to go give her a tight hug and tell her that everything would be okay.

She slowly opened her eyes and stared at the two unfamiliar figures hovering above her.

"Who are you?" she asked.

"God, Nathan, I can't do this. I can't deal with Brooke right now," Lucas said as he rushed back outside.

Nathan hurried to his brother before he left. "Lucas! She needs us! You can't just leave her when she needs you the most. Remember your wedding vows?"

"Wedding vows? Ha! Like those ever meant something to her! If they did, then why did she ever sleep with you?"

Ouch. Nathan felt like the guy in front of him wasn't his brother. Lucas loved Brooke and would've forgiven her for this one mistake. This man was an inconsiderate jerk.

"Look. I can't deal with a memory-less Brooke. I'm already broken because of the whole Shelly isn't your kid incident. And this just adds to the confusion. I need some time. I think I'm gonna go visit Haley for two weeks. Clear my head. Figure everything out."

"You're ditching your wife for Haley? Are you crazy?"

"Nathan, look I'm sorry. But right now I need to do what's best for me." Lucas then walked away, leaving a furious Nathan to deal with Brooke.

**000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000**

"I see one of you is back," Brooke said as she saw Nathan re-enter the room.

"Uh, yeah sorry about that."

"It's fine. Who was that guy?"

"Uh…that's Lucas. Your husband."

"My what?!" Brooke exclaimed. "I'm married!?! To a guy that I don't even know?!"

"Hey, hey calm down," Nathan said. He came up to her bed and sat down on the side. He tried to rub her back but she pulled away.

"And who are you?"

"I'm…I'm a good friend of yours. I'm Nathan."

"Oh. So I don't remember a thing?"

"Unfortunately not."

All of a sudden Brooke's shoulders started shaking and she started crying.

"What am I going to do? I don't know who I am! I'm married! I…" she sobbed loudly.

"Hey, shh…everything's going to be okay. I promise you."

"How do you know?"

"Because, you're Brooke. And you're strong. And you can get through this. _We_ can get through this. I'm here for you and I always will be. I won't let you go."

And this time when he tried to hug her, she didn't resist. Instead, she buried her head into the one man's chest who would be there for her every step of the way.

**Well, that was the new chapter!! Hope you liked it!! PLEASE R & R!!!!! Reviews give me motivation and help ****a lot****!!! I'll try to update really soon. **


	8. Chapter 8

**Hola!! I promised you a quick update so here you have it….chapter 8!! Thanks for the reviews, they help greatly. And just so you know, the more reviews I get, the more determined I am to update quickly. Hope everyone's having a great day!! Enjoy!!**

Time gradually went by in Tree Hill. Brooke was released from the hospital a day after her confrontation with Nathan. She moved in with him and slowly, he helped her try to regain her memory. He took her places, showed her old pictures, and told her past stories. However, she still didn't remember a thing, just the new information she gained from her time with Nathan. As the days progressed, Brooke was getting more and more frustrated and depressed. How could she not remember her past? She could be in a room with people she spent her whole life growing up with, but feel so lost and alone. The more discouraged she got, the more determined Nathan got. He spent every single moment with Brooke, trying to help her in some way. But even the teacher can get lost and frustrated at times.

**Start Flashback**

_Nathan took Brooke to the gym, thinking that maybe that particular place could help rejog something._

"…_And this is Tree Hill High's gym. Or my basketball heaven." He said as they entered the deserted gym._

_Brooke took in everything around her. Basketballs sat in a rack, a pair of pom poms were sitting on a table, the bleachers were blue and empty, and a huge mural of the word RAVENS covered the back wall. _

"_Where was I in this 'basketball heaven' of yours?" she asked mockingly._

_He laughed. "You my friend were a cheerleader."_

"_I was a cheerleader?"_

"_More like THE cheerleader." He chuckled again. "You stood on those sidelines and cheered on the team, especially Lucas."_

"_The husband?" He nodded. " How about you mister? Did I cheer you on? Or was Lucas the only hot guy I cheered for?_

_Nathan smiled inwardly. She thought he was hot. "Well you probably did…I mean who could resist all this?" He joked._

_A warm laugh escaped her lips. "Touché. Touché." _

_That smile. God he loved her smile. There was something in it that drew him in. It was unlike Haley's, unlike Peyton's, unlike any other girl he had ever dated. Why hadn't he noticed it before?_

"_So does that mean I was popular?" Her words brought him out of his deep thoughts._

"_Popular? Hell yeah. You were Miss Popularity in high school. Student council president, cheerleading captain, fashion queen…you had it all."_

"_And now I have lost it all," she whispered quietly, but just loud enough for Nathan to hear. Her previously cheery, smiling face instantly turned into a melancholy smile full of sadness. Her state of despair had arrived one again._

**End Flashback**

Nathan walked into Peyton's house after witnessing another Brooke breakdown. God why couldn't he help her?? It had been two weeks. Why couldn't she just get better??

"Hey Nathan, you okay?" Peyton asked him.

Her presence startled him. He was so caught up in his own thoughts he didn't even realize she walked down the stairs.

"Hey Peyt. Yeah I'm okay, just a bit confused."

"Brooke?"

"Who else? I just want her to be okay! I hate seeing her like this…so lost and cheerless…it's not Brooke. I just want to help her."

"You are helping her Nathan. You're helping her more than anybody. Give it time."

"How much time? I hate seeing her breakdown every night because she can't remember who she is. God, this is all my fault!"

"How is it all your fault?" Peyton asked curiously.

Nathan contemplated if he should tell her or not. She was one of his best friends. And she would understand without judging him. So he gave in.

"The day of the accident…she was staying at my house…"

"Yes, Mr. State the Obvious. Now get to the juicy details."

Nathan rolled his eyes. "We were talking, then all of a sudden I leaned down to kiss her and right when our lips were about to touch, she ran out, startled, and the car hit her."

"Wow…so this is what goes on behind the closed Scott door."

"Peyton…I'm serious. If I hadn't kissed her she would've been fine. And she wouldn't have ran out in the road. And the car wouldn't have hit her. I just want her to be better."

Peyton stared at her longtime friend for a while before bursting out into laughter.

"What?" Nathan asked, totally confused. How could she be laughing at a time like this? Brooke lost her freaking memory!

"You like her."

"What??!?!"

"You, Nathan Scott, like Brooke Davis," she replied with a smug look.

"Actually, it's Brooke Scott, seeing as she's married to my _brother_."

"Awe that never stopped you two before" she joked back.

He glared in her direction. Peyton could be so inconsiderate at times. "Haha very funny Peyt. And just so you know, I don't like Brooke. She's my brother's wife."

"Whatever you say, Mr. Oblivious. Natey and Brookie sitting in a tree…K-I-S-S-I-N-G…"

"Peyton! Geez!"

"What?! You feel something Nathan and you know it. I'm just stating the truth."

"I don't love Brooke, okay?!"

A smug look reappeared on her face. "Love? I never said anything about love." She paused while smiling. "Feelings are feelings, Nate. You can't just ignore them." With that, she walked upstairs leaving a puzzled Nathan.

Then it hit him. He was falling in love with his brother's wife.

**That's the end! I think that's a good ending the chapter. PLEASE R & R!!!! IT MEANS A LOT!!! I love to know what you guys think about the chapter, characters, future stuff, etc. :)**


	9. Chapter 9

**Bonjour! Hope everyone had a great 4****th**** of July!! The fireworks were awesome and very pretty! Some of you asked when Lucas was going to be back, and don't worry he will be coming back soon. I want to build some stuff up before he arrives back. If you have anything you want to see coming up, please tell me! Well this is chapter 9. Enjoy!!**

Brooke opened her eyes and yawned. New morning. New day. She stretched out in the bed. It was a very comfy bed. Nathan had good taste. Or maybe it was Haley. Whoever. It was a good bed. She slowly got out of bed. After spending thirty minutes showering, forty minutes trying to find the perfect outfit, and another twenty on her hair, Brooke slowly made her way downstairs.

Nathan couldn't sleep at all last night. Peyton's words kept on haunting him. _Feelings are feelings, Nate. You can't just ignore them._ He leaned against the kitchen counter staring at the sports section in the newspaper. Even though it appeared that Nathan was fully focused on reading, the score of the big Duke game was the last thing on his mind. What was stopping him from admitting his feelings? His divorce with Haley had been finalized two days ago. _Lucas_. His brother always had to mettle didn't he? But there were other things.

1. Lucas- her husband. She's married for crying out loud! And NOT to you.

2. Brooke hasn't got her memory yet. She doesn't remember her past fully, just the things she's been told.

3. He was scared. Scared that she didn't feel the same way. Scared if she ran away again. Scared that she may be starting to feel the same thing. Scared of love. Look how his last marriage ended. Divorce.

4. It's complicated.

God, this was driving him crazy. He needed to get her out of his head. He tried to concentrate his thoughts on the Duke game, but once again failed. Then he heard footsteps coming down the stairs, so he looked up.

As Brooke jumped off the last step, she looked up.

Their eyes locked. And even though it seemed like eternity, it was only about twenty seconds that they held each other's gaze.

The sound of the coffee machine broke into their thoughts. They diverted their gaze and acted as if nothing happened, as if there was no momentary connection.

"Morning, Brooke. Have a good sleep?" Nathan asked as he sipped some coffee out of his mug.

"Yes, indeed. I think I have fallen in love with your bed." She said dreamily.

Nathan almost chocked as she said the word _love_. 'God, either this is a sign or I'm seriously paranoid,' he thought.

"Coffee?"

"Yes, please. You want to add a blueberry muffin to that?"

He chuckled. "Sure."

As Nathan scurried around the kitchen, trying to fulfill Brooke's wishes, she observed him. He was pretty cute. Scratch that. He was pretty damn hot. His raven colored hair was slightly messy, giving it a shaggy look appearance. And his eyes. God, she loved his eyes. They were this dark, intense blue, like the deep ocean. Anyone could easily get lost in those eyes. _Especially me_, she thought. Her gaze traveled down to his nose then stopped at his lips. Very kissable. Then she stopped as her brain went on rewind mode. _Very kissable? What was she thinking? She couldn't think like that! Especially about Nathan. It was wrong on so many levels._

1. He just got out of a divorce. He probably still has feelings for Haley. It was just two days ago. Also, she was freakin married! To his brother, btw.

2. He doesn't want to deal with a girl who can't even remember her past, only the things that she's been told.

3. She was scared of rejection. More particularly, his rejection. He probably thought of her as a friend or a sister. And hypothetically speaking, if he did think of her in _that_ way, it still couldn't happen. She was still married. And both of them weren't the type of people to cheat on Lucas. _Ironic, we already did once._

4. It's complicated.

_Brooke Penelope Davis-Scott get your head away from Nathan._ He does look pretty good though in his dark blue polo. It brings out his eyes. _Brooke!_ She shook her head slightly, trying to concentrate again on something different. The newspaper caught her eye.

"Did Duke win?" she asked.

Nathan looked up. Truthfully, he had no freakin clue, even though he had been staring at that one article for thirty minutes. He could either lie and say that he was reading something else. Or, he could just guess. It was a fifty-fifty shot. Yes or no.

"Yeah, they did." _Please let me be true, please, please._

She stared intently at the article. Mirroring his image minutes earlier. "115- 96. Geez, that was a close game. I'm glad Duke won, though."

He was saved. _Make a note to thank God next time you go to church._ "Me too. Here's your coffee and blueberry muffin."

"Thank you."

They sat in silence for a few moments.

"So, where are we going today? What else impacted my life?" she asked half jokingly.

"Actually, I was thinking that maybe we could hang out. Just for fun. The two of us."

She looked up, her lips suddenly forming a smile, and her dimples finally showing. "I would really like that."

"Good." He was smiling too. She had that effect on people. Or maybe love had that effect on people.

**End of chapter!! Hope you liked it!! Please R & R!! Thanks!!!!**

**And remember, more reviews, more quickly I update. I just like to know that people are actually reading the story and I'm not wasting my time on nothing. I hope nobody's getting sick of the story yet:)**


	10. Chapter 10

**Hey!! I'm so sorry I haven't updated recently! I've been pretty busy this week and haven't had too much time to come to my computer. However, this chapter is the longest that I have ever written so it should compensate.**

**A lot of you mentioned about the kids' whereabouts and I apologize for not mentioning them earlier. They are in this chapter a lot. **

**Also, I wanted to know if you wanted any other characters to make an appearance, like Rachel or Mouth or even Chris Keller. Idk, I just wanted to know what you guys wanted or any suggestions.**

**Enjoy:)**

Peyton Sawyer sat down at her desk, trying to concentrate on her work. But the whole Brooke-Nathan scenario was becoming a big distraction. She knew he was beginning to fall in love with her. It was pretty much obvious, although she still knew he had lingering feelings for Haley since the divorce. Brooke was a whole different story. She was still married, although before the accident, Brooke had secretly confided to Peyton that she felt that her relationship with Lucas was being strained greatly lately. She felt Lucas was putting more and more effort into the Ravens' game rather than his family. Brooke hadn't been truly happy in a few months, just putting up a fake façade. Although, Peyton had noticed that the brunette's eyes had sparkled a little when she talked or joked around with Nathan. Now, after the accident, it was a whole different story. She had no idea what was going on in the Brooke's head. Peyton just hoped that Brooke would get her memory back so she could either 1) try to get things with Lucas back on track or 2) move on to Nathan. Secretly, Peyton desired the latter of the two. She had always known they were meant to be.

"Aunt Peyton, when are mommy and Uncle Nate coming to pick us up?" Aaron asked.

Both Aaron and Shelly had been staying over at Peyton's recently. Nathan thought it was best if him and Brooke concentrated on her memory and having the kids at home would be a big distraction. Also, they didn't want to scare the kids. How do you explain to a five and two and a half year old that their mother lost her memory? It was a scary thought. However, that afternoon, Nathan and Brooke were going to take the kids out for dinner.

"They will be here at 5 o'clock mister. Why don't you and I play some basketball before then? Sound good?" she asked.

"Yeah! Let me go get my ball." The young boy ran upstairs. He without doubt had the Scott love for basketball.

As Peyton walked towards the front door, there sat a pouting Shelly.

"Shel, what's wrong?"

"Shoes. Me can't tie," she said as she frowned and put both hands on her sides. Her actions were 100 Brooke. It made Peyton laugh.

"Come here sweetie, let me tie them."

"No, me want Uncle Natey," she said still frowning.

Peyton sighed. _You mean your daddy_, she thought. Nathan and Brooke hadn't told the kids that Nathan was Shelly's real father due to the accident and the following events. Once Brooke got her memory that was the first thing they were going to do. Tell little Shel that her uncle was really here dad. _It's a good thing that she likes Nathan more than anyone. _

"Shelly, Uncle Natey is out with mommy but you can see him tonight."

"Then no shoe tie." She took off her shoes and ran upstairs into Peyton's room to color. _Stubbornness. Just like your mommy _and_ daddy._

**00000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000**

Meanwhile, Nathan and Brooke had decided to go to the beach. It was such a pretty day outside and Nathan was going to make sure Brooke enjoyed every minute of it.

"It's so pretty," Brooke said as she sat down on the sand, patting the ground on her right side for Nathan to follow.

"Yeah it is." _Just like you._ He grinned to himself, then shook his head to rid the thought.

"What's so funny?"

"Nothing. Just thinking of past memories. We had a lot of those here at the beach."

"It's a good place for action," she joked as she winked at him.

"Are you flirting with me Brooke Davis?" he intentionally left out the Scott so that the guilt of flirting with his brother's wife would disappear.

"Maybe I am Nathan Scott. You got a problem with that?"

He smirked. She reminded him of the Brooke from high school. Pretty, flirty, and sweet.

"Nope, no problem."

"Well then, I'm going to lay out and tan. I need some color." She stripped off her clothes revealing a two piece dark purple string bikini that accentuated her curves. Nathan gulped. Yes, this was going to be one heck of a day. He stripped down also to his bathing suit. A little flirting couldn't hurt, right?

"Nice bikini. A bikini is a good look for you." She laughed. Two could so play this flirting game.

"Nice trunks. Nothing's a good look for you." She winked as he raised an eyebrow.

Then he had an idea. This day was supposed to be fun, right? Suddenly out of nowhere, Nathan scooped Brooke up and ran towards the ocean.

"Nathaniel Lee Scott, put me down, now!"

"Awe is Brookie afraid of the water?"

"Naatthann!!! I'm supposed to be tanning not…" she was trying to think of the right word. "…watering!"

"Watering?" he busted out laughing, Brooke still in his arms and his feet halfway in the blue waters.

"I don't know! It was the only word that came to mind!" She pouted, resembling Shelly earlier that day.

"Too bad." As she opened up her mouth to retort, he dumped her in beside him.

She rose up from the water, soaked from head to toe, sputtering out the salty water that had flown into her mouth.

"You are so dead, mister."

For the next fifteen minutes, the two fought back and forth. Dunking, splashing, tripping, wrestling. They did it all. They were caught in a heated wrestle. Jumping on the others back and tackling them onto the ocean floor. They rolled over numerous times finally making their way back to the sand.

Out of the blue, Brooke stopped. Nathan was under her and they were still tangled up in each other's arms. Their faces were but inches away from each other. She could feel his breath on her face and feel the tension from their close proximity. He could feel the pressure from her body and his pulse shooting up real high. As he stared into her eyes, she stared into his and their gazes locked. Slowly, Brooke leaned down as Nathan leaned upwards to capture the other's lips…

**Ahhh the end of chapter 10! Sorry for the cliffhanger…you will have to wait to see if they kiss or not. Please Please Please R & R!!!! The reviews mean ****everything**** to me! Thanks!! Hope you have a good day!**


	11. Chapter 11

**Heyyy!! Thank you for all the quick reviews! I decided to update soon so you guys wouldn't be in suspense for much longer. Throughout the chapter, there are quotes that set the mood. Hope you like them!**

**For those of you with questions…**

**Asharp4- Nathan told Brooke his middle name. She hasn't regained any of her memory yet. **

**Brucas831- Thank you for your suggestion. Do not worry, Lucas will be making a huge appearance soon and he will be having a great part in the story, contrary to before.**

**OTHwriter93- Thank you for reading even though you hate Brathan. And yes, the whole B/L/N triangle will be pretty intense, mostly for Brooke.**

**Here is Chapter 11, aka the chapter in which the real drama will start. Enjoy:)**

_Previously…_

_Out of the blue, Brooke stopped. Nathan was under her and they were still tangled up in each other's arms. Their faces were but inches away from each other. She could feel his breath on her face and feel the tension from their close proximity. He could feel the pressure from her body and his pulse shooting up real high. As he stared into her eyes, she stared into his and their gazes locked. Slowly, Brooke leaned down as Nathan leaned upwards to capture the other's lips…_

**0000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000**

Their lips met in a heat of passion, like a million fireworks suddenly went off. Slow, but fervently, the sexual tension between the two erupted. The kisses started to get more and more intense as time surpassed. Nathan traveled his kisses from Brooke's lips to her neck to the spot behind her neck that drove her insanely crazy. She moaned out loud as he found her weakness. Brooke did her own exploring, kissing her way across his jaw line, along his neck, and down his rock hard abs, teasing him along the way. He found his way back to her lips, not being able to stand being away. Slowly, his hands started playing with the strings of her bikini, yearning for more. As the knot was about to untangle, Brooke broke away. Both were breathing extremely heavily and as they started for a second in one another's eyes, the lust was evident.

"_Of all the worldly passions, __**lust**__ is the most __**intense**__. All other worldly passions seem to follow in its train.__" - Buddah_

Brooke broke the tensioned silence. "Not here. Let's go to your place."

He nodded, standing up with Brooke's legs wrapped around his waist and her arms tangled up around his neck. They started kissing again, less vigorously but with the same amount of passion, stumbling their way to his car.

_**Lust**__'s passion will be __**served**__; it __**demands**__, it __**militates**__, it __**tyrannizes**__" -Marquis De Sade_

Any onlooker who would've witnessed Brooke and Nathan that day would've admired such young love, oblivious to its wrongness. For every amount of lust, there was twice the amount of betrayal. Their passion was filled with infidelity, dishonestly, and sin. It was wrong on so many levels, but they still did it.

"_A lot of people __**mistake**__ a __**short memory**__ for a __**clear conscious**__." –Dough Larson_

**000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000**

Brooke opened her eyes after a nice nap. She felt the other side of the bed, expecting to feel her companion. However, it was empty. Instantly, she sat up and looked around. _Where the heck am I?_

The comforter, sheets, and pillows were a forest green. _Funny, at home they are dark blue._

She turned her attention to the bed stand. It was made of mahogany wood. _At home they are cherry wood._

The lamp had a matching green shade. _What happened to the expensive silk one I bought from New York?!_

There was a picture of James, Shelly, and Aaron near the lamp. _Where did the photo of Lucas and me after our wedding go?! _

_Everything's different! Did Luke arrange for some Home Makeover people to re-do our bedroom while I was sleeping or something?? And where is he?! I'm obviously naked so we must've had sex. Who the heck just runs off after sex? _

Brooke got out of the bed and put on her robe. She started walking towards the door in search of some clue to where she was.

Suddenly, the bathroom door opened. A smile formed on Brook's face. _He was in the bathroom this whole time! Why didn't I check there before? God, what have I lost my memory or something?_ Expecting her husband, she turned around. The sight however was quite far from her expectations. The opposite, actually.

"Nathan?!?!"

"_While we are __**free**__ to __**choose**__ our __**actions**__, we are __**not free**__ to __**choose**__ the __**consequences**__ of our actions." -Stephen R. Covey_

**Nice ending, huh? Hope you guys enjoyed Chapter 11!! For those of you that love drama, this is just the beginning. ****Please please R & R!!!!**** I love to know what you think!! I'll try to update soon. Have a good day!**


	12. Chapter 12

**Heyy!!! Hope everyone is having a lovely day today. I decided to update today and post chapter 12. And yes, the drama continues lol. For all of you that reviewed, thank you so much!! The reviews were so sweet and for those with questions, I hope this chapter answers them for you. Now, I'll shut up so you can read. Enjoy!!**

_Previously,_

_Brooke got out of the bed and put on her robe. She started walking towards the door in search of some clue to where she was._

_Suddenly, the bathroom door opened. A smile formed on Brook's face. __He was in the bathroom this whole time! Why didn't I check there before? God, what have I lost my memory or something?__ Expecting her husband, she turned around. The sight however was quite far from her expectations. The opposite, actually._

"_Nathan?!?!"_

**00000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000**

Brooke stood shocked, staring at the figure in front of her. _Nathan? Nathan Scott? Her brother-in-law? She slept with her husband's brother? Again?! _

"Morning, Brooke. You okay?" he asked nonchalantly.

_How could he be so calm? _"What's going on? How did we have sex?!"

His face fell. _What was going on?_ "Brooke, what are you talking about? What's going on?"

"I don't know! You tell me!" _What was going on?? And why am I with Nathan?_

"Brooke, what's the last thing you remember?"

"Ummm…I came over to your house after that big fight with Lucas about Shelly." _How the hell is this relevant? Did we have sex because I was sad or something?_

"Think harder. Do you remember anything else?" he pleaded. _How could she not remember the past weeks? And this morning? _

She closed her eyes and tried thinking really really hard. Seconds, then minutes, then what seemed to be forever passed when finally, Brooke opened her eyes and looked up, her face illustrating shock and realization. Something in her brain that hadn't clicked since the accident, clicked. "There was an accident…it was horrible…" her face contorted as if in pain. "I was running really hard…then I saw this flash and then I screamed…everything went black. I was trying to get away from everything…the pain, the tension, the problems…and you."

Nathan felt like a lump was forming on this throat. He felt like he couldn't breath. _She was running away from him. From _him

"_**Words**__ and __**hearts**__ should be handled with __**care**__ for __**words**__ when spoken and __**hearts**__ when __**broken**__ are the __**hardest**__ things to __**repair**__" -Anonymous_

"Brooke, can you remember anything after the accident??" He _had_ to know if she remembered these past weeks.

"Yeah…I can remember mostly everything…some stuff is a bit hazy at best but most of it is clear." She sat on the edge of the bed.

"Do you…" he started but was cut off by the young brunette.

"Yeah, I do," she said as she looked down. _So she did remember this morning…where does that leave me?,_ Nathan thought.

Then Nathan asked the one question that had been eating him up inside. "Brooke…why were you running away from me that day? I know I shouldn't have tried to kiss you, but…"

"You're damn right you shouldn't have tried to kiss me! I'm married, Nathan. To your brother. And I know things between you and Haley didn't work out, but Lucas is such a good husband. I've been the one that got pregnant with his brother's baby, almost kissed his brother, and then had sex with his brother. Again!" She jumped up again, fury evident.

This pissed off Nathan. "Then where the hell was he Brooke? Where was he when you were trying to regain your memory? Where is he now? If he's such a good husband, then why wasn't he with you through not just the good but the bad too? Huh?" Nathan knew he shouldn't be screaming at her like this. She had just regained her memory. She was probably overwhelmed and confused, but he was so sick of people defending Lucas. And remembering the sight of that poor girl in the hospital, confused and crying just broke his heart even more.

Brooke was left speechless. Finally she spoke up. "I don't know Nathan. I really don't know. But I'm not surprised that the revelation about Shelly drove him away."

She sounded so broken and hollow. He started to feel ashamed for throwing his anger about Lucas towards her.

"_**Anger**__ is just a cowardly extension of __**sadness**__. It's a lot easier to be angry at someone than it is to tell them you're __**hurt**__" –Tom Gates_

She continued to speak, more to herself, then anything. "I'm the cheater Nate. If I hadn't come over that one night, then he would be here for me." _And there wouldn't even have been an accident since I wouldn't have ever tried to kiss you,_ he thought. "And I'm the one that's feeling all these things, things that I shouldn't be feeling, but I am. So that makes me the cheater not him."

Nathan's head perked up. _What was she feeling?_ "Brooke, what are you feeling?"

She hesitated for a moment. _Should she tell him? Things were already screwed as it is. She had already reached rock bottom. What the heck, what harm could it do now?_ "What am I feeling? I'm feeling things that I shouldn't be feeling, Nate! Butterflies in my stomach. My heart beating like it's going to explode out of my chest. An inevitable feeling of extreme attraction. Intense passion like nothing ever before. The whole nine yards! I feel like I'm falling in love all over again…." She looked up, gazed into his eyes, and quietly whispered the last part. "And it's all because of you."

It was his turn now to be speechless.

"_It makes__** no difference**__ how deeply seated may be the __**trouble**__, how __**hopeless**__ the __**outlook**__ how muddled the tangle, how __**great**__ the __**mistake**__. A sufficient __**realization**__ of __**love**__ will __**dissolve**__ it __**all**__" -Anonymous_

And then, as if on cue, they heard the front door open and a familiar voice exclaim, "Nathan, Brooke honey, I'm back!"

**There you have it…the end of chapter 12! Hope you enjoyed it!! PLEASE R&R!!!!! Thanks: )**


	13. Chapter 13

**Hey guys!! Hope everyone's having an awesome day…I am! Here is Chapter 13. It's a good length. It brings back the Brooke/Lucas/Nathan love triangle. Sorry for the long wait! I've had a pretty busy weekend. I'm hoping to finish the story before school starts back up for me. Thanks for all the reviews!! We are nearing 100!! Anyway, enjoy!**

_Previously,_

_Nathan's head perked up. __What was she feeling?__ "Brooke, what are you feeling?"_

_She hesitated for a moment. __Should she tell him? Things were already screwed as it is. She had already reached rock bottom. What the heck, what harm could it do now?__ "What am I feeling? I'm feeling things that I shouldn't be feeling, Nate! Butterflies in my stomach. My heart beating like it's going to explode out of my chest. An inevitable feeling of extreme attraction. Intense passion like nothing ever before. The whole nine yards! I feel like I'm falling in love all over again…." She looked up, gazed into his eyes, and quietly whispered the last part. "And it's all because of you."_

_It was his turn now to be speechless._

_And then, as if on cue, they heard the front door open and a familiar voice exclaim, "Nathan, Brooke honey, I'm back!"_

**0000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000**

At the sound of Lucas's voice, both Brooke and Nathan hurried around, trying to rid all evidence of that morning. They put back on their clothes, straightened out the bed, and tidied up the room. As the sound of Lucas' footsteps upon the staircase filled their ears, Brooke spoke up.

"We'll finish this conversation later. Act normal." _What the hell does that mean? Act normal…the situation's far from normal!,_ he thought.

"Brooke…"

"He's my husband, Nathan." _Slap._ That's what it felt like for one Nathan Scott. He knew Lucas was her husband. God, he was reminded of it everyday by the sight of Brooke's wedding ring. But how could she pour her heart out to him, give him hope, then rip it all out by saying that Lucas is her husband? What was he then? Some fling whenever her husband _wasn't_ there?

"_**Love**__ that we __**can not have**__ is the one that __**lasts**__ the __**longest**__**hurts**__ the __**deepest**__ and __**feels**__ the __**strongest**__" -Anonymous_

The sound of the door opening broke his train of thought. There stood Lucas Scott.

"There you guys are! I was looking everywhere!" the blonde man exclaimed. He dropped his suitcases on the ground and surveyed the two people in front of him.

"Luke, I thought you were coming back in a few more weeks?" his brother retorted.

"I was, but I realized what an ass I've been and I came home to fix it." He then turned his attention to Brooke. "Brooke, I shouldn't have left you like that in the hospital. I was so angry but that's not an excuse at all. I've been a horrible husband these past weeks. I'm so sorry baby! I'm here now and I want to help you with your memory, day and night."

"Funny, your appearance is a bit late. She got her memory back this morning. You would know though if you had been here." Nathan said, venom dripping from his words.

Lucas looked up shocked. He opened his mouth to speak but she cut him off.

"Lucas we need to talk. Alone." She looked at Nathan who shook his head and then exited the room.

"Oh my god, Brooke, you got your memory back! That's awesome!" He rushed to her and enveloped her in a huge hug.

"Lucas we have a lot of things to settle. About Shelly, what happened with me and Nathan, and my accident." She extracted herself from Lucas's arms and stood in front of him.

"Brooke, while I was away I had a lot of time to think and I could only come up with one thing. I love you Brooke Davis-Scott. I love you so much. And I know you and Nathan made a mistake in the past but I can overlook that. We all make mistakes. And I know you and Nathan wouldn't do that to me again. I love Shelly so much and I will always think and treasure her as my daughter even though she's Nathan's. And I want to be there to help raise her, every step of the way. I want us to be a family, you, me, Shelly and Aaron. I made a jackass move by running away from you when you were in the hospital, from running away from my problems. And I apologize greatly for that. If I could take it back I would in an instant. All I'm really trying to say is that I love you and I'm sorry. Do you forgive me?"

Brooke stood there shocked and speechless. A few minutes ago she had planned this exchange all out. She would tell Lucas that she slept with Nathan and that she was falling in love with him. And that she couldn't be married to a guy who left her when she was helpless and when she needed the most help, love, and support. But after that speech there was only one word she could utter.

"Yes."

He brought his arms back around her and gave her a passionate kiss which she only half-returned, but that went unnoticed by her husband.

_God, what am I doing? Why am I digging myself deeper and deeper into a hole? Why am I doing this to myself? And most importantly to Nathan? Ugh, what will I tell him?_

But she didn't have to tell him anything. He had heard the whole conversation through the door and stood out there feeling heartbroken, angry, and defeated.

"_Falling in __**love**__ with someone __**isn't**__ always going to be __**easy**__**Anger**__**tears**__**laughter**__.. It's when you __**want**__ to be __**together**__ despite it all. That's when you __**truly**__**love**__ another. I'm sure of it.__" -Anonymous_

**000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000**

Brooke emerged later into the living room to find Nathan just lying there on the couch. Lucas had left earlier to pick up the kids and go back home.

"Got room for another?" she spoke.

"Sorry, liars aren't allowed." _Ouch…I guess I deserved that._

"Nathan…"

"No Brooke! You have no fucking right to talk to me! You tell me you love me but when your _husband_ shows back up you instantly act as if theirs nothing going on between us and you go back to happy family land. Was your 'I love you' speech even true or did you just bull shit it because you were bored and needed another guy to screw while your husband was away?"

Nathan kept on rambling on and Brooke kept on getting more and more agitated by the second. She needed to shut him up and only one thing came to her mind. She slapped him. Hard. That sure did do the job.

"Will you shut up for five freakin seconds so I can explain!?! I meant every single word that I said before! I am falling in love with you, idiot! Crazy hard core love! This past week I've felt more passion for you than I've felt in the last year with Lucas. And I was going to tell him, but after he said all that stuff…I don't know…I just got scared. Scared that my marriage was finally over, scared about my future, and scared that I'm falling head over heals in love with you. You _never_ told me how _you_ feel about _me_! And you know what? I still don't know how you feel!"

"You want to know how I feel? This is how I feel." He pulled her into him and gave her the most passionate, breathtaking, knee-weakening, romantic kiss ever.

_"A __**kiss**__ is a lovely __**trick**__ designed by nature to __**stop speech**__ when __**words**__ become __**superfluous**__." –Ingrid Bergman_

**Awee, how cute right? Don't worry more drama is in store! Hope you guys enjoyed chapter 13!! PLEASE R&R!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Thanks!! **

**Oh, if you have any suggestions or ideas of stuff for the upcoming chapters, please tell me :)**


	14. Author's Note & Poll

**A/N: Hey guys!! I just wanted to tell you that I'm very sick…so I probably won't be able to update until Monday or Tuesday or something. Hopefully, I'll be feeling better by then. I just wanted to notify you so that you wouldn't think that I abandoned the story or anything. Anyway, hope you have a good weekend and look for a chapter next week: )**

**Oh, btw, need a poll on something. I have many ideas on what to do for the next chapter(s) and I need to pick one so I need your opinion.**

**Make the story skip to the future…like when Shelly and Aaron are teenagers then the fate of the couples unfold**

**More Brucas/ Brathan love triangle stuff in present then final couple lives happily ever after**


	15. Chapter 14

**Hey guys!!! I'm so sorry for the long update! I've been very sick with some weird flu like thing and I'm finally starting to slowly get better. Here is Chapter 14. Hope you enjoy! There will be many problems for Brooke to face before she ends up with her true love. Ah, tragedy. Thanks for the reviews!! Enjoy: )**

_Previously,_

"_Will you shut up for five freakin seconds so I can explain!?! I meant every single word that I said before! I am falling in love with you, idiot! Crazy hard core love! This past week I've felt more passion for you than I've felt in the last year with Lucas. And I was going to tell him, but after he said all that stuff…I don't know…I just got scared. Scared that my marriage was finally over, scared about my future, and scared that I'm falling head over heals in love with you. You __never__ told me how __you__ feel about __me__! And you know what? I still don't know how you feel!"_

"_You want to know how I feel? This is how I feel." He pulled her into him and gave her the most passionate, breathtaking, knee-weakening, romantic kiss ever._

**00000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000**

After what seemed like an eternity in heaven, Nathan broke the kiss.

"_And what is a __**kiss**__, specifically? A __**pledge**__ properly sealed, a __**promise**__ seasoned to taste, a __**vow**__ stamped with the immediacy of a lip, a rosy circle drawn around the verb __**"to love."**__ A __**kiss**__ is a __**message**__ too intimate for the ear, __**infinity**__ captured in the bee's brief visit to a flower, secular __**communication**__ with an aftertaste of __**heaven**__, the __**pulse**__ rising from the __**heart**__ to utter its name on a lover's lip: __**'Forever'**__" –Edmond Rostand_

"Brooke, I love you. I never in my entire life ever thought that I would love someone other than Haley, especially my brother's wife, but I do. And I want to spend the rest of my life with you."

He stared deep into her eyes and she felt her knees go weak once again. She replied in a way that showed her approval. She kissed him once again.

"I love you, too, Nathan Scott. But I don't want to do this," she motioned between them, "while I'm still married to Lucas. Although our marriage has been pretty rocky lately, I know this is going to break him and I don't want to hurt him anymore than I have to."

"I agree. I never wanted this to hurt him. And I don't want to be sneaking around and cheating behind his back when he is in oblivion. He's going to be really hurt though after everything that happened between Shelly and the accident."

"I know. And it kills me. But you can't control fate, can you?"

He chuckled. "No, you sure can't."

"_**Accept**__ the things to which __**fate**__ binds you, and __**love**__ the people with whom __**fate**__ brings you together, but do so with __**all**__ your __**heart**__" –Marcus Aurelius_

"I'm going to go right now and tell him. He deserves to know the truth. And the sooner the better for both of us and for the kids."

"Want me to go with you?"

"Nah, I need to do this on my own for once. But thank you."

"No problem." He leaned down and brushed his lips lightly against hers. "I'll be waiting for you when you get back."

"You better," she joked. She winked at the raven-haired boy and then made her way to the door, dreading the conversation soon ahead.

**0000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000**

---"Hey Mr. Lawrence, it's Lucas Scott from Tree Hill High School."---

---"Yes, I've decided to take you up on your offer."---

---"Yes, yes, thank you. I will be talking to you soon. Goodbye!"---

Lucas Scott strolled back into the kitchen, putting the phone gently in its place. He was smiling vividly, pleased with the decision he had just made. _Brooke's going to be so excited_, he thought. He went back to checking the chicken. _A nice meal for good news._ He heard the front door open. _Yes! She's home!_

"Lucas?"

"I'm in the kitchen, honey!"

As Brooke made her way to the kitchen, a delightful aroma filled her nose. _Did Lucas cook dinner? He never cooks unless it's a special occasion. _Curiosity engulfed the brunette.

"Luke, are you cooking?"

"Yes, baked chicken breast with sherry-peach sauce. Oh, and raspberry white chocolate mousse cake for dessert."

"Isn't that what we had at our engagement dinner?"

"Yes, and I remembered how much you loved it," he said as he gave her his million dollar smile.

"Wow, Luke…" She was aghast. A mixture of shock, horrification, and gratefulness ran through her. Her heart was slowly breaking because she knew deep inside that she was going to crush him in a minute.

_Ugh…this is going to be way harder than I thought. How can I do this when he made such a wonderful meal and is so happy?! I guess it's now or never_, she thought.

_This is the perfect moment to tell her! She's going to be so happy_, he thought.

"I have something I need to tell you."

"_A harmful __**truth**__ is better than a useful __**lie**__." –Thomas Mann_

**Eeek! The end of chapter 14! Sorry for leaving you like that. Hope you guys liked it!! PLEASE R&R!!! Thanks!**


	16. Chapter 15

**Hey guys!! I'm trying to update sooner and sooner because I'm going to be pretty busy during August so I'll finish before then. Only a couple more chapters left! Thanks for all the reviews! Here's Chapter 15. It's mostly Brooke and Lucas talking. Enjoy: )**

_Previously,_

_Ugh…this is going to be way harder than I thought. How can I do this when he made such a wonderful meal and is so happy?! I guess it's now or never__, she thought._

_This is the perfect moment to tell her! She's going to be so happy__, he thought._

"_I have something I need to tell you."_

**00000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000**

Brooke looked up. _Was his news the reason he cooked dinner? _"Umm…I have something I need to tell you, too."

"Do you want to go first or…?"

"You go," she said, chickening out. A few more minutes couldn't hurt, right?

"I got offered to coach a college basketball team while I was away."

"OMG! Lucas! Baby, that's awesome!!" Momentarily all was forgotten as she jumped up into his arms and gave him a big kiss. "Which team in North Carolina is it?"

He looked down hesitantly, then slowly brought his gaze back up. "Actually, Brooke, it's not in North Carolina."

"Then, where is it? South Carolina, Georgia, Tennessee?" Her tone showing obvious impatience.

"Uh, California."

"Wow…California?!" She stepped out of his arms and started pacing across the kitchen floor. "We really need to think about this. I know this is your dream, but California's across the country!"

"Uhh Brooke, I need to tell you one more thing and I know you're going to get mad but please understand that I did it for _us_ and for the _kids_."

The pacing stopped. The smile dropped. And the concern rose. "Lucas, you can tell me anything. I promise I won't get mad." _After everything I've done, I have no reason to be mad at you._ He, on the other hand, wasn't so sure.

"_Every __**truth**__ has __**two**__**sides**__; it is as well to __**look**__ at __**both**__, before we __**commit**__ ourselves to either__." -Aesop_

"I took the offer. A minute before you came home."

Her concern suddenly vanished and what seemed to be the deepest of all fury appeared. "You what?!" The venom was evident in her voice.

"I…I took the job." He tried to reach out of her but she slapped his hand back. Was this God's way of punishing her?

"Don't! Don't you freakin touch me! You took the offer?!? Did it ever occur to you that you have a wife and two children to think about?! Maybe consulting them would be a good idea! The kids love it here. I love it here. God, Lucas how can you be such an idiot! Do you seriously expect me to pack up my life and just go to California with you?" She was screaming by now and had probably woken up the neighbors ten doors down.

"Brooke, this is my dream! I thought you'd understand! I supported you when you wanted to become a fashion designer. I thought you would do the same for me. It's just one sacrifice!"

"Don't you dare! Don't you dare bring up my career! I never asked you to pack up everything and move across the country Lucas! And sacrifice! You want to talk about sacrifice? I've sacrificed so much for you already…traveling for my fashion line, going to shows across the country, having another kid! And you don't even realize it." She was crying silently by now, tears slowly cascading down her cheeks.

He was silent, dry of words to say. Absolutely speechless. What could someone say to that?

"God, Lucas…" She turned around and rested her head against the refrigerator.

She felt a hand slowly turning her around. Looking up she looked into her husband's eyes. Once they used to have that dreamy effect, making her feel as if she was falling deeper into them, deeper and deeper in love. Now, all she saw was blue. Dark gorgeous blue eyes. There was no falling. No dreamy effect. No deep love. When had it vanished? How come she hadn't realized this sooner?

"Brooke, I'm so sorry! I really am. Believe me, if I could take back not asking you, I would in a second. But this is my dream! I've always wanted to be college coach! You know that. Can't you just support me?"

She didn't know why but suddenly the anger rose back up. Five years ago, if he had asked her the same question, she would've probably given in. She would've probably have forgiven him and they would probably be celebrating right now. But this wasn't five years ago. A lot had changed. She wasn't that same girl anymore. She was sick of the sorrys. Sick of the pain. Sick of being that hidden woman who wouldn't show how she really felt.

"_**Love**__ is like a __**rose**__. It looks __**beautiful**__ on the __**outside**__...but there is always __**pain**__**hidden**__ somewhere.__" -Anonymous_

So, she did one thing. She laughed. Confusion etched across her husband's face. "Lucas, I've supported you from the longest time. From the time we started dating to this exact moment. But I'm done being that wife that always agrees with her husband. Done hanging onto something that I know was never truly meant to be. Done lying. I'm done."

She extracted her arm from his hand. She felt his finger slowly brush down her hand as she made her way to the door. The loss of contact signaled the end of their marriage. They were done. His destiny lied in California, coaching a big college team. Hers lied here. In Tree Hill. With a man other than her current husband. The fate of the Scotts was finally unfolding.

"_We plan our lives according to a __**dream**__ that came to us in our __**childhood**__, and we find that life __**alters**__ our plans. And yet, at the end, from a rare height, we also see that our __**dream**__ was our __**fate**__. It's just that providence had other ideas as to how we would get there. __**Destiny**__ plans a __**different**__ route, or turns the dream __**around**__, as if it were a riddle, and fulfills the dream in ways we __**couldn't**__ have __**expected**__" –Ben Okri_

But before she put both feet outside the door, she had to tell him the real truth. He deserved to know. He wasn't the only one at fault here.

"Oh, by the way, I'm in love with your brother. I have been for a while. I just didn't realize it. I thought you might want to know."

With a slight smile, Brooke Davis-Scott closed the door and made her way down a familiar path, to a place where she knew she was destined to be.

**Ah! The end! That was Chapter 15! Hope you liked it!!! PLEASE R&R!!! I love to know what you're thinking. Thanks!**


	17. Chapter 16

**Hey guys!!! I decided to update again today because I may not be able to for the rest of the week. I'm going to be out of town for a few days but I should be back by next Monday. Hope everyone's having a good day! Here's Chapter 16. It's pretty intense. I decided not to add any quotes in this chapter so that the focus was more on the story. Enjoy: )**

_Previously,_

_She extracted her arm from his hand. She felt his finger slowly brush down her hand as she made her way to the door. The loss of contact signaled the end of their marriage. They were done. His destiny lied in California, coaching a big college team. Hers lied here. In Tree Hill. With a man other than her current husband. The fate of the Scotts was finally unfolding._

_But before she put both feet outside the door, she had to tell him the real truth. He deserved to know. He wasn't the only one at fault here._

"_Oh, by the way, I'm in love with your brother. I have been for a while. I just didn't realize it. I thought you might want to know."_

_With a slight smile, Brooke Davis-Scott closed the door and made her way down a familiar path, to a place where she knew she was destined to be._

**0000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000**

**Meanwhile, at Nathan's place, after Brooke left to talk to Lucas.**

After Brooke left, Nathan Scott felt like one of the happiest men alive. Him and Brooke could finally be together. Never in a million years would he have imagined falling in love with her in such a short period of time. It was like he was dreaming and sometimes Nathan was afraid that he would wake up and realize that none of this was reality.

"God, I love her!" he said as he grinned like an idiot, leaning across the couch. Love could make a hard core guy like him turn into a sappy kind of guy.

When she came back they would finally be able to be with each other. They would finally be able to be a family. A true loving family. Growing up with parents who were control freaks and pill heads, a true family was a mere thought and definitely not a real thing to him. _This calls for a celebration. When Brooke comes back we can finally be together and happy. I think I'm going to surprise her._ And Nathan Scott did just that.

Ten minutes later he returned to the house, fifty roses in hand and about twenty-five candles. He laid them ornamentally around the living room, showering rose petals here and there for a romantic look. _She is definitely not going to expect what she sees here._ While he was lighting the candles the doorbell rang. Nathan looked at his watch. It hadn't been that long…Brooke said she was going to take a while. _Weird. Maybe everything went better than I thought._

The person on the other side of the door was definitely not Brooke, though.

"Haley?" Nathan stood shocked and confused. _What was she doing back in Tree Hill?_

Haley James, formerly James-Scott, looked down at her hands and rocked back and forth on her feet. Obviously nervous and hesitant.

"Hey Nate…Do you think we could talk?" she questioned.

"Uh yeah sure. Come on in."

Opening the door further he revealed the enchanting display. "Wow…did you do all this for Brooke?"

"Yeah…I wanted to surprise her."

"Ohmygod, Nate I can come back later and we can talk then. I don't want to intrude on your surprise."

"No, no it's fine. She'll be a while."

"Ok. So…" She said as she sat on the couch.

"So…" Echoing his former wife's moves, he joined her on the couch. "What brings you back to Tree Hill?"

"I just wanted to clear things up between us." After looking at his confused face, she elaborated. "I wanted to apologize for how I reacted with the divorce, with Brooke, with our marriage. For a while, I truly wasn't happy with our marriage and I guess the only reason we were together was because of James. And when you told me about you and Brooke, I used it as my way out. And after the divorce, I'm embarrassed to say that I felt for the first time in a while, free. And I feel so guilty for blaming everything on you and making it seem like our marriage was a total disaster just because of you. I have faults too and I just wanted to say sorry for everything I put you through, for blaming you for everything."

"I did cheat on you though Haley. It was really wrong of me and I shouldn't have hid it from you for that long. And I shouldn't have even done that behind your back."

"I know. But just know that it wasn't just your fault. It was both of ours. It just wasn't meant to be. We weren't meant to be."

"Yeah."

"So, friends?" She stuck out her hand awaiting his response.

He broke out into a smile and enveloped her into a hug instead. "Friends."

She started laughing. "Ah I'm glad I got that out of the way."

"Haley James, I don't think I could ever not be friends with you."

She laughed again. "Geez, Scott. Took you long enough to realize that." He mockingly hit her. "So…tell me about you and Brooke. What's the deal with you two? How's Lucas dealing with all this?"

For the next hour, Nathan filled her in on the current drama between the three. They chatted like old friends and it felt good to have resolved everything between him and Haley. Every now and then, he would glance up at the clock. _Where was Brooke? Is she okay? Did everything go alright?_ Since Brooke had not shown up yet, and Haley insisted on staying saying that she wanted to clear things up with Brooke, Nathan put in a movie for him and Haley to watch while they waited. Both sat side by side on the couch, enjoying their time as friends.

**00000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000**

After Brooke had left Lucas', she decided to take a detour to Peyton's. She knew her friend had played a secret part in getting her and Nathan together and she thought it was only best to go over and tell her that she had ended things with Lucas in person rather than over the phone. The girls had chatted away, and Peyton was more than rejoiced that her two best friends were finally together. She had always known they were meant to be. Looking at the clock, Brooke realized how late it was.

"Oh god! It's 11:30 already?! Peyt, I better get going. Nathan's probably worried sick." She scrambled up and made her way downstairs to leave.

"Okay. Tell loverboy I said congrats and I told you so," Peyton replied, smirking.

Brooke laughed. "Will do, my friend."

Gathering her belongings, she headed to Nathan's house, her future home. Ah! She was so excited! This was the moment she'd been waiting for. The future was beyond her hands. She knew there would be problems regarding the divorce, custody, living arrangements. But the only thing she cared about in that moment was how much she loved Nathan Lee Scott.

Turing off the engine of the car, she pranced towards the house. _The living room light is on. Was he waiting up for me? Awe, he's going to be so happy when I tell him! This is the moment that will change everything! _She peeked through the front window, curious to see what her current lover was up to. Looking around, she gasped. The living room was decorated elaborately with luminous candles, dark scarlet roses and scattered rose petals. It was a picture from any girl's dream. Her gaze inadvertently traveled the couch. She froze. The sight was one that she would never have expected.

There sleeping soundly on the couch was Nathan. Lying right beside him was no other than Haley James. Looking pretty damn cozy. As a pool of tears started forming in her glistening eyes, the brunette did the first thing that came to mind.

She fled.

**End of Chapter 16! Sorry for the cliffhanger. Hope you guys liked the chapter! PLEASE R&R!!! Love your comments! Thanks!**


	18. Author's Note 2

**A/N: Hola!! I am SOOOOO sorry I haven't updated!! I came back from vacation and got sick again so I probably will only be able to update on Saturday. I'm so sorry again! I know that you guys must be wondering what's going to happen. Just know that there are like 3-4 more chapters left and I'm trying to finish it up before the end of August so you won't have to wait that long. Thank you for waiting and look for a new chapter this weekend!! Hope you guys have a good week: )**


	19. Chapter 17

**Hey guys!! I am sooo sorry I haven't updated in a while! I feel so bad for leaving you guys hanging. I was sick for some time plus extremely busy with school starting and stuff. So, here's Chapter 17. It's the longest chapter that I've ever written. Hope you guys like it and hope it makes up for lost time! I didn't get that may reviews for the previous chapter so I hope you guys aren't loosing interest or something. If you are or have any suggestions please tell me. Anyway, Enjoy: )**

Previously,

_Turing off the engine of the car, she pranced towards the house. __The living room light is on. Was he waiting up for me? Awe, he's going to be so happy when I tell him! This is the moment that will change everything! __She peeked through the front window, curious to see what her current lover was up to. Looking around, she gasped. The living room was decorated elaborately with luminous candles, dark scarlet roses and scattered rose petals. It was a picture from any girl's dream. Her gaze inadvertently traveled the couch. She froze. The sight was one that she would never have expected._

_There sleeping soundly on the couch was Nathan. Lying right beside him was no other than Haley James. Looking pretty damn cozy. As a pool of tears started forming in her glistening eyes, the brunette did the first thing that came to mind._

_She fled._

**00000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000**

The sun shone brightly the next morning, its rays shining through the window of Nathan Scott's house. Birds were chirping happily and flying about, oblivious of what was to come, oblivious to what was in store.

The shrilling sound of the doorbell startled sleeping Nathan as he jumped up from the couch, landing on the floor, all rumpled up and disorderly. _Shit, that hurt! _Turning towards the coffee table he saw a note.

_Nathan,_

_Had to get back home to James. You looked peaceful sleeping so I didn't want to disturb you. I had fun last night. Glad that we can be friends. Hope everything works for you in the future. Call me later!_

_Haley_

Nathan smiled. He was glad that him and Haley could put aside everything from the past and be friends. Both of them could finally move on. It was nice.

_Ding Dong! Ding Dong!_

He slowly got up and made his way to the front door, annoyed by the constant sound, his brain still hazy from his long sleep. _Who the hell is here at this hour?_

Opening the door revealed four teenagers, probably high school students from the looks of it. Two were girls, one blonde with an extremely overly-cheery expression plastered on her face. The other was a brunette, a bit more conservative but still had that preppy spark to her. The two boys on the other hand wore basketball uniforms. Raven basketball uniforms. Ahhh…four of Tree Hill's elite cheerleaders and basketball players. _God, let's get this over with._

"Umm…can I help you?" Nathan asked, obviously confused to why they were at his front door step. Wasn't this more Lucas' thing seeing as they were _his_ players?

"Hi! I'm Amber! Can we come in?" the overly perky blonde asked. _Did she just fucking ask to come into my house? Geez, what the hell!_

"Uh, sure?" His response came out more like a question than anything as the four teens invaded his house.

"Wow, omg, were you expecting someone or something?"

Nathan looked around and suddenly sobered up. The rose petals. The now extinguished candles. The romantic evening he had planned. All for Brooke. _Brooke! Why hadn't she ever come home? Was she okay? Did something happen at Lucas's? Was there another accident? Did she decide to go to Peyton's instead of coming here? I need to call her!_

"Umm…" he started. Before he could come up with anything though, one of the boys interrupted him. Looks like the blonde wasn't the only one who talked.

"Oh, aren't you Coach's brother? Nathan?"

"Yeah, that's me. Why may I ask are you four here?" He needed to find out what happened to Brooke. NOW.

"Oh! Well some brunette girl stopped by the gym this morning while we were practicing and she asked if one of us could drop this off to the owner of this house," Amber explained as she handed him a perfectly sealed white envelope.

"A brunette? What did she look like? Did she give a name?"

"Umm…she was about my height, green eyes, dark brown hair…she looked familiar but I don't know where from..."

"I think she was Coach's wife." The other girl interjected.

_I think she was Coach's wife. _Brooke. The letter was from Brooke.

"Brooke!" he exclaimed.

"Yeah that's her name!"

He quickly ushered the kids outside, thanking them, before slamming the door shut.

**0000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000**

"Why was Coach's wife writing a letter to his brother?" Amber asked outside.

"Who knows? Maybe they're secretly in love," Thomas, one of the players, joked.

"Ha Ha, very funny, Tom. That only happens in soap operas you know."

The four laughed as they made their way back to the high school, unaware of how true their assumption was.

**0000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000**

Back inside the house, Nathan instantly ripped open the letter and read it. As his eyes traveled from sentence to sentence, he felt like his heart was getting stabbed, over and over and over again. Tears formed in his eyes as he collapsed onto the couch, cursing himself for being such an idiot and wishing, just wishing that he could take last night back. She was gone. That beautiful brunette with the dashing smile and the radiant emerald eyes. She was gone. And it was all his fault.

_Dear Nathan,_

_I decided to leave Tree Hill. I'm not coming back. _

_I'm divorcing Lucas. Our marriage was failing before you and I happened and for once, I'm going to do something that's best for me. I think it's time that I stood on my two feel, independent. I'm going to try living life by myself with the kids for a while._

_You and I were never meant to be and I got a pretty obvious picture of that last night when I came to your place. I was stupid enough to actually believe that you loved me back, like I love you, but I guess I'm a fool when it comes to love. You always have loved Haley and you always will. Always and forever, right? I was just a mere fling for you while you came to your senses about Hales. Anyway, I wish you two the best of luck. I always knew you and I were too good to be true and that you and Haley were the ever lasting couple. Hope you two get back together and are happy._

_I'll arrange for some sort of custody agreement for Shelly, since she is your daughter. I won't be the evil bitch that hides my daughter's real dad from her. I'll send you the court date sometime after I've settled in my new home._

_Please don't try calling me or try to find me. Last night you did the one thing you promised that you would never do. You broke my heart. And I can't and won't let that happen again. For my sake and for my children's sake. _

_I love you Nathan Scott and I always will. But I guess it just wasn't fate, right? Take care of yourself. And please, take care of Luke._

_Sincerely,_

_Brooke_

He loved her. He really did love her. Not Haley. Not Peyton. Not some random chic off the street. He loved only one person. Brooke Penelope Davis. And she didn't even know that. He had to fix things. He had to tell her that what she saw was just a mere act of friendship, nothing more. He needed to have her back in Tree Hill. He needed her to know that he truly loved her.

He jumped up, and rushed outside to the place where he knew the answers laid hidden.

**0000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000**

Peyton Sawyer was fixing some pasta when she heard her front door slam and angry footstep rushing in.

"Peyton Elizabeth Sawyer! Where the hell are you?!"

She eyes instantaneously went cold at the sound of that voice. Nathan Scott was in her house. The two-faced back stabbing asshole himself.

Before she could utter a response, he found her.

"Awe, looking for some ex-wives to screw? Sorry, we're out. Why don't you try Slut Barn, I heard it's near Haley's house. God she has just perfect location!" her sarcastic words drown laced with the deadliest of all malice.

_So Brooke had been here before she left. And she told Peyton what she saw. Figures. Peyton probably knows where she is too. Now all I need is to just get it out of her. Easy, right?_ Wrong.

"Where's Brooke?" he asked, ignoring what she said.

"Why would you care? Want another quick easy lay or was Haley not good enough?"

"God Peyton you don't even know what happened! Can you just please freakin tell me where Brooke is? I need to talk to her."

"I don't know what happened? Who the hell do you think sat beside your new supposed, now ex, girlfriend while she cried her heart out telling me that she found you and Haley looking pretty chummy with each other on your couch. And you had even decorated the house for her! How sweet!"

"Peyt…" he started, but she cut him off.

"She gave everything up for you Nathan! Her husband, her marriage, her dignity, her previous life that she loved. All for you! And you just threw it away for your ex-wife. God! Bastard, much? And I really thought you loved her! You were telling me all these things and you guys were so perfect…was it all just a joke to you? A little game to seduce your brother's wife then ditch her?"

"No! I really love her! I…" but she cut him off again.

"Then why the heck did you cheat? No offense, but don't tell me I don't know anything. I've heard it all. And that, my friend, makes you the asshole and her the nice girl."

Before another word could escape from Peyton's mouth, Nathan exploded.

"Will you shut the hell up and let me talk for five fucking minutes and explain what really happened?!?!?!" he screamed.

Taken aback by his loud outburst, she nodded her head. "Five minutes, Scott."

He then started explaining everything, from his plans for a romantic night, to Haley showing up, to Brooke not showing up, to Haley wanting to be friends, to falling asleep on the couch, to waking up and reading the letter. After his long confession, he looked up at a guilty looking Peyton.

"I guess I really didn't know what happened, huh?" she said, trying to ease up the awkwardness between them.

He chuckled. "Guess not."

"Nate, I'm so sorry! I know you wouldn't hurt her intentionally and I know you love her. I just got carried away…and I'm really sorry for jumping to conclusions so fast!"

"Peyt, it's really okay. The big problem is that Brooke doesn't know the truth. I truly love her Peyton. I want to spend the rest of my life with her." A smile broke out onto his face as he admitted those words. "I need to find her and tell her the truth. I know you know where she is."

"She left for New York. Her parents have a house up there and she said that she was going to stay there until she figured out what she was going to do."

"New York," he repeated.

"Yup. Hold on let me go get the address." She ran to the living room and then came back with a pink sheet of paper with Brooke's curvy writing upon it.

"Thanks Peyt. You don't know how much this means to me." He said as he broke his gaze from the paper and looked into her eyes.

"Nah, it's the least I can do. Go get her, tiger," she replied as she gently pushed him towards the door, a smile now on her face.

He didn't need a second push. He rushed out of the house and ran to his car. The slip of paper was calling his name.

New York. He always did want to go there.

**Ah! The end of the Chapter 17! Please R&R!!!!!!!! Love your reviews and they motivate me a lot! Thanks!!! Have a good day!**


	20. Chapter 18

**Hey guys!!! I am sooo sorry for the long wait! I've been very busy with school and it's been pretty hectic since it just began. I hope all of you have been doing well! This is Chapter 18. It's centered mostly around Brooke. So you can see how she's doing. Thank you for all your reviews!!! I loved them: )**

**Also, I'm going to start a new story. So be on the look out. It will be called How to Love a Guy in 10 Days, loosely based off of movie How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days. I'm not sure about the couples yet, I may change them up since I did Brathan for this story but I'm not sure yet.**

**Anyway, Enjoy!!**

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"_**It's the choices we make and the chances we take that determine our density," – Anonymous.**_

Beep! Beep! Beep! Beep!

"Ugh, what the heck?!"

Brooke Davis turned around and slammed her alarm clock off. She slowly lifted her head and stared at the bright red numbers. 6:30. Too early to wake up, too early to face reality. But sometimes you don't get what you want, especially if you have two kids to think about. Slowly dragging herself from the comforts of her bed, Brooke made her way to the bathroom and looked at herself in the mirror. Her eyes were still red and puffy and there were hints of mascara streaks still on her cheeks from the endless hours of crying.

"God, Brooke, toughen up!"

She had to toughen up. At least for her kids. At least to prove to herself that Nathan Scott didn't mean a thing to her. She could repeat that a million times but deep down in her heart she knew that that was the biggest lie of all. He did mean a thing to her. She had loved him and she still did. But he had broken her heart, just like she had done to Lucas. Poor Lucas! The innocent victim in all this mess. At least he would be pursuing his dreams in California. They still had to sort out this divorce nonsense and she really didn't have the energy right now to call him up and do that. So she didn't.

The sound of the bathroom door opening startled her as she jumped up and clutched her chest.

"Hi Mommy! Morning!" Five year old Aaron said, smiling brightly, his dimples shinning clearly.

"Good Morning, baby! What are you doing up this early?" said Brooke as she scooped her son into her arms and made her way down to the kitchen. The three of them, Brooke, Aaron and Shelly, had been staying at her parents' house. Luckily, the Davis' had taken a month long trip to Paris, so Brooke didn't have to share the current state of her messy life.

"I couldn't sleep. I miss Daddy," he said innocently. Poor boy, he had no idea.

_I miss Daddy. _It was times like these where Brooke wished, just wished, that she could take back everything with Nathan. It would have been her, Lucas, and the kids. No divorce, no affair, no you-sister-is-actually-your-half-sister nonsense. It was times like these where she wished she was a better person, a better mom. She had brought all this drama into her children's lives. And she would be the one who explained why their Daddy wasn't here and why they would have to fly to California every holiday just to see him. It was all her fault.

"Mommy?? Mommy? Are you ok?" He stared up at her with a concerned face.

Brooke snapped out of Thinking Land and smiled. "Yes, I'm perfect, I just was wondering what a little superhero would like for breakfast."

Suddenly, the concern vanished and excitement bubbled. All thoughts of Lucas were lost and food was now in the question. It was funny how the smallest things could perk up kids.

"Can I have chocolate chip pancakes?"

"Hmmm….let me think about it…" she mocked thinking, teasing the little boy along.

"Please Mommy! Please! I'll be a good boy!" He yelped jumping up and down in her arms.

"Okay okay superstar….let's get you some chocolate chip pancakes."

"Yes! I wish Uncle Natey was here…he makes the best pancakes ever!"

She stopped in her tracks at his words. _Uncle Natey…yes, hunny, I wish Uncle Natey was here too. _Feeling tears dangerously fill up her eyes she turned on the TV for the little boy and rushed to the nearest bathroom, finally crying her heart out once again.

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He looked around. All he saw was an endless amount of people. People rushing around, all looking as if they were in a hurry. He had no clue where the heck he was going. He needed some coffee. And some food too, seeing as he had missed breakfast and dinner from that previous night. And then he needed a cab….yes, a cab. A cab to take him to his destination….the place he was dreading to go…the person he was dreading to see.

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Brooke slowly composed herself and made her way back to the kitchen. The sight of a half opened door, though, caught her eye and she stopped, slowly making her way into the still dark room. There on the twin sized pink bed laid Shelly, sleeping like a precious angel. Brooke smiled at the sight of her daughter. Her dark locks, long lashes, little fingers gripping her teddy bear. She was seriously the cutest thing. So precious a child born from an act of infidelity. As Brooke stared at the three year old, she couldn't help but think of Nathan again. But this time she didn't cry. Maybe because her daughter reminded her of all the good memories shared between the two or maybe because it was him who helped her when she needed someone the most. There was a part of her heart that didn't and couldn't believe that Nathan would cheat on her. He had promised that he would be there when she came back, no matter what. Maybe she had overreacted….maybe she had just misunderstood….but the sight of him and Haley kept on popping up….telling her that she had made the right choice. But deep down she really didn't think that she did. She loved him. And he had loved her. Everyone made mistakes….geez, she herself was the queen of making mistakes….what if what she saw was purely a mistake? Nothing more, nothing less? Was there another reason why she ran away? Not just because of Haley and Nathan….but a secret more hidden reason why she had left Tree Hill? Why she had left the guy who had found a way into her heart? A heart that had been slowly forming a barrier during her marriage with Lucas?

Her thoughts halted as she heard Aaron scream her name from the living room. She placed a sweet kiss on Shelly's head and made her way back to her son. No, what Nathan did was wrong. She just needed to find a way to deal with that. That's all.

"Mommy, what took you so long? I'm hunnnnggrryyyyy…." He said, stretching out the word hungry so that his mom laughed.

"Come on superstar lets get you some pancakes."

But before she could step foot in the other direction, the doorbell rang. She glanced at the clock. 7:15. Oh, didn't Mrs. Weatherly say she was going to come by to pick up the check from her mother? The number one most annoying lady who was apart of New York's elite gossip association. Must be her.

Ring! Ring!

"Jeez, hold on a sec!" She trudged to the door, rolling her eyes. Did she have to start her day staring at a fifty-four year old hyena? She finally opened the door; however, her attention was on the checkbook in her hand.

"Hi Mrs. Weatherly, how much do I ―" the words dried up in her mouth as she stared at the figure before her. Her expression was priceless, the shock radiating from her face.

"Hey Brooke," he said casually, as if nothing was wrong between them.

What was _he_ doing here?!

He wasn't supposed to be here!

She had left to be AWAY from him!

Why the heck couldn't it have been Mrs. Weatherly for once?

She stared at him. His hands were in his pockets and he was rocking back and forth on his feet, obviously nervous. His blue eyes stared into hers, silently asking her to respond. She looked up at the guy she knew so well and finally spoke up.

"What are you doing here?"

**End of chapter! Hope you guys liked it! Please R&R!!! And I'll try to update as quickly as I can. Thanks!**


	21. Chapter 19

**Hey guys! Hope everyone has been doing well. School has gotten extremely hectic for me but I have not forgotten about the story, don't worry. Only a few more chapters left before it's done! I feel kind of sad. Thanks for all your lovely reviews!! Anyway, Here's Chapter 19. I hope you guys like it. Enjoy!**

**Oh, btw, my other new story, How to Love a Guy in 10 Days is a Brucas. A friend of mine wanted me to change it up a little bit b/c I was originally going to write it as a Brathan but I decided to differ it up for her. So if you guys like Brooke and Lucas I suggest you try it out. Thanks: )**

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"_I can't control my __**destiny**__, I trust my __**soul**__, my only __**goal**__ is just to __**be**__. There's only __**now**__, there's only __**here**__. Give in to __**love**__ or __**live**__ in __**fear**__. No other __**path**__, no other __**way**__. No __**day**__ but __**today**__" –RENT_

**Surprise**. A State of Amazement. **Realization**. The Act of Comprehending Something Completely and Correctly. **Remorse**. Moral Anguish Arising from Repentance for Past Deeds. **Fury**. Great Anger. **Love**. A Deep, Tender, Ineffable Feeling of Affection and Solicitude Toward a Person. **Scare**. A Condition or Sensation of Sudden Fear.

This was what Brooke Davis was feeling as she sat on a kitchen bar stool, staring at the man before her as he spilled out every detail from that night three days ago. His every word threatened to break down the walls she had started building up again after arriving in New York. The truth was a powerful thing. It could either make you or break you. As he continued to explain what had happened, she closed her eyes and inhaled slowly, taking it all in.

_Flashback Start_

_She stared at him. His hands were in his pockets and he was rocking back and forth on his feet, obviously nervous. His blue eyes stared into hers, silently asking her to respond. She looked up at the guy she knew so well and finally spoke up._

"_What are you doing here?"_

"_Brooke…I came here for you."_

_She laughed hoarsely. She couldn't believe him. Was he that dense? After everything he did, did he really think that she would come running back into his arms?_

"_For me? You sure you're not looking for you ex-wife?"_

_He started up at her, hurt evident in her eyes but also understanding. _

"_No, I came here for you. What you saw wasn't what you think it is, Brooke. I wasn't cheating on you! I would never do that! Just give me five minutes so I can explain. Please."_

_She laughed sardonically in his face. "And why the hell should I? After what you did you should be glad I'm even talking to you for this long. What makes you think that I should listen to you?"_

_He looked up into her eyes, staring deeply as if in search of something. She diverted her gaze, his blue eyes so intense that she had to look away. _

"_Because I love you. And I know that you still love me."_

_This one statement made her jerk her head up. Of all things he could have said, she would have never imagined him to pick that one. The scary thing was that it was true. She still loved him. _

"_You have five minutes, Nathan."_

_End of Flashback_

She had told Aaron to go play with his toys in his room, while she sorted thing out with Nathan. She had definitely not regretted her decision. She finally realized the truth: she was a complete idiot. He had nothing wrong and she had just snapped to worse conclusion and ran away. Ran away without any sort of explanation or confrontation.

Why was it that she always assumed the worst? Why hadn't she trusted him? A voice in the back of her head replied, _He cheated on Haley once before. You cheated on Lucas many times before. What makes you think that Nathan would be faithful to someone like you? A mom of two kids, each one having a different dad. A scared, insecure person who has no clue what is in store for her in the future. _

She quickly made her inner thoughts die as she re-opened her eyes to stare up at him.

"…and what I'm pretty much trying to say, Brooke, is that I love you. I love you so much and I would never ever hurt you or the kids in anyway. I'm sorry about Haley, but I swear that nothing happened. It was purely platonic and we just fell asleep. The roses and candles weren't for her; they were for you. I wanted us to have a night together, a night to celebrate finally being a couple…."

Nathan continued to ramble on, so desperately trying to convince her of what really happened. She knew he was telling the truth. The look on his face proved everything.

"…Brooke, I love you. I think that ever since that day three years ago a part of me has started to fall for you. And now I stand before you with you, Brooke Penelope Davis, as the only person in my heart. I love you so much. Please believe me."

She did believe him. As she started at the guy who held her heart, all she wanted to do was jump into his arms and give him the deepest, most passionate kiss ever. She wanted to feel those lips which she had missed so much and make love there and then in the kitchen. She wanted to tell him that she love him, too. She wanted to tell him that he was the one. The one that she wanted to spend the rest of her life with him, living happily together as a family with Aaron and Shelly. But she didn't.

Although he had done nothing wrong, there was still a part of her that didn't want to trust him again because truthfully she was scared as hell. She knew how much seeing Nathan and Haley on that couch broke her. It was as if someone had died. She never wanted to be put in that position again, to feel that vulnerable and lost. To her, the only way to prevent that was to avoid any possible situation where she could get hurt. That meant avoiding Nathan, the one true love that held her heart in his palm.

She took a deep breath and started, knowing that she was going to be breaking two hearts in the process: hers and his. "Nathan, I do believe you." Hope filled up his eyes, smiling as he took a step forward. But as she continued, he halted. "I do believe you, but I can't do this. We can't do this. I'm sorry."

His smiled instantly faded. He started walking backwards, trying to get away from her as if she was some sort of lethal bacteria, until his back connected with the refrigerator door. His eyes showed so much hurt and confusion and coldness. She offered no explanation. No reason for why she had rejected him. But inside he knew. He could always read her like a book. They were alike, the two of them. Both of them usually needing a push in the right direction. Nathan already got his from Peyton. Brooke was still hiding and he knew it.

He stared at her, even though she was purposefully staring at her feet, taking any chance to avoid his gaze. He gave a short sigh and then turned around, making his way back to the door, out of her life.

She knew he was walking away and all she wanted to do was scream to stop! To not leave her because she loved him and she was sorry. But although her mouth opened, the stubborn words just wouldn't come out. That one piece of the wall would not shatter.

As he reached the door, he turned back around and caught her gaze. He could tell she was surprised that he hadn't just left. He wouldn't do that because he had something to say and he wasn't leaving until she heard him.

"I know what you're doing, Brooke. I know that you're probably scared, and I know how much you hate when your heart is exposed out in the open because you're afraid that you're going to get hurt. But listen to me when I say this. I know you love me and I sure as hell love you, but you need to stop running. Stop running away from me Brooke because one day when you may realize that running will get you nowhere, I may not be there. I'll wait for you, Brooke, but know that I won't wait forever."

On that note, he left, leaving a broken girl to cry to herself.

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She sat there, curled up against a kitchen cabinet, with tears flowing down her face, his words echoing inside her head over and over and over again. _Stop running away from me Brooke because one day when you may realize that running will get you nowhere, I may not be there._ She had to stop running. She had to. But before she could, she had to deal with some stuff. Things that were keeping her away, the unfinished business.

Quickly wiping her tears, Brooke realized what she had to do right then. Grabbing the phone book, she searched for a particular number, her fingers brushing page after page. Finding the one in mind, she picked up the phone and dialed, patiently waiting for someone on the other line to answer.

"_Hello, you have reached Delta Airlines. This is Jane. How may I help you?"_

"Hi, I need one ticket to San Francisco as soon as possible…"

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**End of Chapter 19! Hope you enjoyed it! Please R&R!!! Thanks: )**


	22. Chapter 20

**HEY! Thanks for all the reviews once again. I decided to update since its Saturday and I have absolutely nothing to do, and I know that tons of you are so curious to see what happens. I decided to bring back the quotes…I thought that they give a good vibe, and I like looking for new ones since I love reading new quotes. Anyway, here's Chapter 20. My longest chapter yet!!! It really sums things up. Only a couple more chapters left! But I know most of you will be excited because you are dying to see a happy brathan after. That sounds pretty cool actually…maybe I should've put that as my title…"Happy Brathan After"…hmmm…Anyway, I will stop ranting now so that you guys can read. Enjoy!**

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"_What you are as a __**person**__ is far more __**important**__ than what you are as a __**basketball **__**player**__," –John Wooden_

Dribble. Dribble. Dribble. Fake left. Turn right. Shoot. Whoosh!

"Great job, Mark! Keep up the good work!" Lucas Scott's voice boomed across the vast gym, as he clapped his hands, starring at his star player.

"Thanks, Coach," the boy replied, giving the new San Francisco College coach an appreciative smile.

It was 10 A.M. College Basketball Practice. Lucas Scott's third day of coaching. After Brooke's sudden confession, Lucas had left Tree Hill immediately, finding no reason to stay behind. He moved into brand new fancy apartment on the outskirts of San Francisco and started his recently attained job. He had instantly fallen in love all over again. He _knew_ this is where he was destined to be: coach a college team.

Although he moved across the country, Lucas' lingering feelings from Tree Hill still were haunting him. More like _she_ was haunting him. He missed the kids and he missed her so much. He hadn't gotten the closure he needed, so the uncertainty and pain from their fallout were still buried inside his heart. She had just spilled her heart and left. No reasonable explanation. No past confession. Nothing. The words still rung in his head every night as he tried to go to sleep. _Oh, by the way, I'm in love with your brother. I have been for a while. I just didn't realize it. I thought you might want to know._ That was the one thing he never suspected, that she was in love with him. Even after finding out about the affair, Lucas had just assumed it was a one time thing. One mistake, that's all. She and Nathan had always been close. Nate was her rock when problems between Luke and her arose and vise versa. However, there had always been a tingling feeling inside Lucas that Nathan and Brooke would be a better couple than him and Brooke. They always knew what to say to make the other one laugh. They always brought out the lively spark in the other. They could share their deepest darkest secrets without feeling a moment of doubt. And they would make a pretty hot couple, him once being Prom King and she once being Prom Queen. But Lucas had never let himself think like that. He didn't doubt her. Brooke was his wife, not Nathan's. Brooke and Nate were just really close friends. Nothing more, nothing less. Guess he was wrong.

Although their marriage had been rocky for a while, he had always had some hope that they could maybe break through all the barriers and overcome all the problems. But after hearing her spill her heart to him that night, he had become disillusioned. They no longer were the same in love man and wife that they were the day of their marriage. They had drifted apart, slowly without truly realizing it. There were no late night talks, no mad nights of love, no connection like they had had in high school. The fire had been slowly dimming and that night, it just blew out. It was sad that the true state of their marriage was only seen because Brooke had fallen in love with his brother.

In the end, though, it all hurt the same. She was his first love, and he would probably always love her in some way, and there would always be some angst. Maybe one day he would fall in love with someone else and get re-married. Now, however, he just needed some closure so that he could move on with his life. He needed to find that peace. He needed to talk to Brooke. Luckily for him, his wish would be granted real soon.

_"__**Life**__ moves on, whether we act as __**cowards**__ or __**heroes. **__**Life**__ has no other discipline to impose, if we would but __**realize**__ it, than to __**accept**__ life unquestioningly. Everything we __**shut**__ our eyes to, everything we __**run**__ away from, everything we __**deny, **__**denigrate**__ or __**despise**__, serves to __**defeat**__ us in the end. What seems __**nasty, **__**painful, **__**evil**__, can become a source of __**beauty, **__**joy**__, and __**strength**__, if faced with an open mind. Every moment is a __**golden**__ one for him who has the vision to recognize it as such.__" –Henry Miller_

Blowing his whistle, Lucas signaled all his player to the bleachers for a pep talk before they ended practice. He started talking to the boys, but kept his eyes glued to the schedule sheet in his hands.

"Hey guys. You have been playing awesome today and I've seen a lot of improvement since Thursday. Practice is going to be changed to a different date. If you…" But he was cut off by the opening of the gym doors.

There standing under the door frame was an attractive, petite brunette, dressed in the latest fashion. She was biting slightly on her lip, casting a nervous glance around.

"Please tell me it is Jason and he finally decided to show up today," Luke said without looking up.

The mysterious lady was looking around and as she spotted a certain someone, she started walking in his direction.

"Actually, Coach, it's a lady. A pretty hot lady. I would so tap that!" A player named Kevin said, his character resembling Lucas' old friend Tim. Lucas shook his head. _Boys_, he thought. "Dude, she's coming this way!"

Lucas finally decided to look up at this moment and stood there shocked beyond words. Standing in front of him was no other than his soon to be ex-wife. Brooke Davis was in California. Wow, wishes do come true.

"Wow, Scott, I didn't know I had that effect on you after all these years," she joked, trying to lighten up the mood.

"Brooke," he deadpanned, recovering from his moment of astonishment. "What are you doing here?"

_Wow, this sounds eerily familiar_, she thought, thinking about her previous encounter with Nathan.

"Lucas, we really need to talk."

He took this moment to really look at her. She had this pleading look in her eyes. He wanted so bad to just say okay and settle things because he knew he needed closure as much as she did. But of course, his pride and barriers got in the way.

"Why? Nathan not put out last night or something?" He asked, venom dripping from each word, his players looking on at the unfolding drama with curiosity and confusion.

_Wow, this really sounds familiar. Is this some sort of punishment for me pushing away Nathan? You know this is an awful time to try to teach me some damn lesson. Ugh, Karma's a bitch!_

"Can we talk somewhere private?" she asked, glancing at the eager college kids. He motioned for his office and she followed in suit.

"Luke, please. I really didn't mean for it to turn out like this. Can we just sort all this out? We didn't actually end on a good note," she grimaced at the thought of that night.

"Oh, you mean after you told me you were in love with my brother? I'm your god forsaken husband, Brooke! Does that not mean anything to you?"

"Oh shut up, Lucas! You know just as well as I do that our marriage was heading for a divorce. It just came sooner than expected. We haven't been truly happy in a while. So don't give me some filthy bull about how our failing marriage is my entire fault!" She was now screaming extremely loudly, mirroring the night of their previous fight.

"_True __**love**__ never dies for it is __**lust**__ that fades away. __**Love**__ bonds for a lifetime but __**lust**__ just pushes away.__" –Anonymous_

He stood there for a second and she thought for a moment that she had scared him.

"I know. I'm sorry," he said quietly.

"Look Lucas, I came all this way because I needed to see if you were okay. I need to settle this turmoil between us, because until then, I won't be able to move on with my life." Her voice was now calm and collective, the anger washed away.

"Me too. It just hurts. What you did and what you said still hurts."

She looked down ashamed. "I really didn't mean for it to turn out like this. I mean, come on! Naley was the marriage that would never end and you and I….Brucas…we were voted number one hottest couple." He laughed quietly. "I don't know…things have changed between us all. I'm not that girl from high school anymore, Lucas. Our love isn't the same either. Its not just there anymore…the butterflies, the fireworks…it's gone."

He silently agreed with her. It had all disappeared. "And Nathan?"

"Nathan….well, he brought it all back. I never thought I'd feel that like with someone other than you but I was proven wrong. I really care about him Lucas. We never, ever, meant to hurt you in anyway. We love you. It just happened." She shrugged her shoulders, unable to explain her feelings any further.

"You two were always meant to be…I remember Haley and I were joking about it the day we got married. I guess fate just decided to intervene early."

"Yeah."

"Brooke…I just have one question…it may not seem relevant but I just need to know."

"Anything, Lucas." She motioned for him to continue.

"When we were together, after the accident and me leaving and you guys realizing your feelings, did you ever sleep with him?"

She jerked her head at his words and starred into his eyes. They were no longer filled with anger but with hurt. He looked so vulnerable in that moment. She knew that her answer was going to kill him some more.

"Yes. I did. The day you came back…"

He tightly closed his eyes, fighting off the tears that were burning up inside. It all made sense now.

"Do you love him?"

"I do, Luke. I really do. I know it was wrong to feel all those things when I was married to you but they were so real. I really do love him. And I probably screwed up any chance with him after, I so eloquently pushed him away after he poured out his heart to me. But I don't take back one second of the time we spent together. I'm so sorry for hurting you and for cheating and for him being your brother and for ruining our marriage but I do love him. I really do."

He stood there contemplating what she had just said. Her confession had been so heart felt and real. Her rambling proved it. But he knew that in those words, she had finally given him the closure that he had desired. All he had needed to hear was that she truly loved Nathan. Those once hateful words were now greatly appreciated. Lucas would be an idiot to resume hating her. Maybe now she could get her happily ever after. And maybe one day he would too.

He smiled. "That's all I needed to know, Brooke. That's all I needed to know."

She knew in that instant that they were now good. She smiled back at him and engulfed him in a big hug. "Thank you, Luke. I'm really sorry about everything."

"I'm sorry, too, Brooke. Take care of yourself, and take care of my little brother. I love you, pretty girl."

"_As I look back on all that's happened…__**growing**__ up, __**growing**__ together, __**changing**__ you, __**changing**__ me -- there were times when we __**dreamed**__ together, when we __**laughed**__ and __**cried**__ together. As I look back on those days, I realize how much I truly __**miss**__ you and how much I truly __**love**__ you. The __past__ may be gone __**forever**__…and whatever the __**future**__ holds, our todays make the __**memories**__ of tomorrow. So, my __**lifetime**__ friend, it is with all my heart that I send you my __**love**__, hoping that you'll always __**carry**__ my smile with you, for all we have meant to each other and for whatever the __**future**__ may __hold__" –Anonymous_

"I love you, too, broody boy. I'll call you later so that we…..settle things with us and the kids."

"Take your time." He leaned down and kissed her lightly on the forehead. "Now, what are you waiting for, princess? I think you have a knight in shining armor waiting for you."

She chuckled slightly at his way of making the tension disappear. "Yes, I think I do." And with a slight wave and another hug, she was off to find the one she loved.

As he watched her go, there was still an ache in his heart, but it didn't really bother him anymore. He had gotten the closure he had oh so desperately needed. He knew that this was how it was supposed to be. He grinned to himself as he headed back into the gym. Destiny had finally woven its course.

"_**Dreams**__ are like __**stars**__…you may never __**touch**__ them, but if you __**follow**__ them they will lead you to your __**destiny**__," –Anonymous_

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**End of Chapter 20! Hope you guys liked it! Please R&R!!! If I get a lot of reviews this weekend, I may update on Labor Day since I don't have school. The ending is soon to come….**

**Have a great Labor Day Weekend: )**

**Oh, btw, I had a question to ask you. Since this story is almost done, and the other story I'm writing is a Brucas, I was wondering if I should start a new Brathan story, like after this one ends. Please leave me some ideas or comments! Thanks!**


	23. Chapter 21

**Hey guys! I know I said that there would be a couple more chapters left, but I decided to turn that couple into one. So, here is Chapter 21, your final chapter.**

**I wanted to thank ****ALL**** of you that have reviewed and read my story. Thank you for your motivation and support. It has meant so much to me and I greatly appreciate it, especially now.**

**Now, without further ado, here is Chapter 21, the final chapter. You will finally get your Happy Brathan After…I know tons of you have been waiting for this moment. Hope you guys like the ending! Enjoy!**

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"_Do __**not**__ look __**back**__ and __**grieve**__ over the __**past**__, for it is __**gone**__, and do __**not**__ be __**troubled**__ about the __**future**__, for it has yet to __**come. **__**Live**__ in the __**present**__, and make it so __**beautiful**__ that it will be worth __**remembering**__." –Ida Scott Taylor_

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"Yo, I'll tell you what I want, what I really really want,  
So tell me what you want, what you really really want,  
I'll tell you what I want, what I really really want,  
So tell me what you want, what you really really want,  
I wanna, I wanna, I wanna, I wanna, I wanna really  
really really wanna zigazig ha!"

There in her bedroom, stood Peyton Elizabeth Sawyer, in a black Fall Out Boy t-shirt and dark blue boy brief underwear. She was dancing around like a crazy hoodlum, singing loudly into her pink "microphone" hairbrush. The sight was far from entertaining, especially for one Nathan Scott.

"Well, well, well…look what we have here…Sawyer, if I had known you were going to become the next Spice Girl I definitely wouldn't have dumped you in high school," he chuckled, amusement evident in his voice.

She instantly stopped moving at the sound of his voice and stood in shock, her mouth wide open and her cheeks turning into bright strawberries.

"What the hell are you doing here?!?! Knock much?" Sarcasm certainly dripping from her words.

"Well, I definitely wouldn't miss seeing America's Next Idol perform…especially in that outfit," he joked, mock checking her out.

His words seemed to snap the blonde out of her daze. She rolled her eyes, picked up the near pillow, and hit him in the head.

"Shut up, you perv. Oh, and by the way, _I_ dumped _you_ in high school." Smirking, she walked into her closet, looking for a pair of pajama pants, deciding that exposing her underwear wasn't such a good idea. "What are you doing here anyway? Aren't you supposed to be in New York? If I do recall correctly, you were in search for a certain Brooke Davis."

Nathan's face suddenly turned serious and miserable. "Well, let's say Mission Brooke was a failure."

Peyton poked her head out. "What?! What did you do?"

"Why does everyone always assume I did something wrong? I didn't do anything…I explained, I apologized, I begged, I told her that I love her and only her…but Peyt, it wasn't enough."

"What do you mean it wasn't enough? She loves you! You love her! It's like a freakin math equation! One plus one equals two, not one!"

"Yeah, well not in this case. One Brooke plus one Nathan equals one lonely Nathan."

"I always knew I hated math," Peyton grumbled.

Despite their situation, Nathan couldn't help but laugh. Peyton Sawyer getting stressed out was hilarious. "Peyt, it's okay. She's running…she's scared and I understand that. I just wish I could get her to understand that I'm not going to hurt her and that I love her too much to let her go."

"Actually, I disagree." He looked up at her inquisitively. "I think she knows that you won't hurt her and that you love her too much to let her go. _That_ is why she is running away and _that_ is why she is blocking you out and not admitting how she feels. This isn't about you, Lucas, Shelly, Aaron, Bob, Moe, or Curly. This is about _her_. And this…thing between the two of you will only get resolved when she learns how to overcome those fears." She nodded her head as if agreeing with herself.

Nathan stared at her blankly. "How is it that someone who jumps around singing Spice Girls can come up with that," he motioned his hands around, "in one second?"

She smirked. "I'm brilliant. Deal with it."

He rolled his eyes and pretended chocking. "Ego…suffocating…"

"Ah, get over yourself, Scott. No wonder Brooke doesn't want you."

His joking finally stopped and he ended up glaring at her. _Looks like I hit a nerve_, she thought.

They were both silent for a while, her staring at her new heart pajamas and him staring out the window.

Then out of the blue, he spoke up. "I told her that I wouldn't wait forever. I told her that I knew she was running and that I would be here when she figured out her emotions but that I wouldn't wait forever."

"And?"

"That's all bull. I would wait forever. I would wait for her till the second I died if that meant that we could be together just for one moment."

Peyton's heart broke at his words. Her two best friends had gone through so much and hearing Nathan's words right now made her pray to God that Brooke would come to her senses soon. She couldn't stand seeing her friend like this: a helpless, depressed person versus his usual optimistic, energetic self.

"She'll stop, Nathan. She'll stop running. I promise. Just have hope."

He nodded. Hope. That was the only thing he was holding onto. It was the only thing he had left.

"_**Hope**__ is the __**expectation**__ that something outside of ourselves, something or someone external, is going to come to our __**rescue**__ and we will live __**happily **__**ever**__** after.**__" –Dr. Robert Anthony_

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Brooke rushed out of the airplane, Shelly and Aaron each in one arm. Both were sleeping soundly from the tiring flight. The brunette hurriedly made her way to a cab. She had to see him now, before it was too late. She _needed_ to tell him.

Ten minutes later, the cab was parked in front of his house and she was vigorously knocking on the door.

"Damn it, Nathan Scott, where the hell are you!? Ugh!" She threw her hands up in frustration. _Where could he be?_ Unbeknownst to her, Brooke's present state was similar to Nathan's not too long ago. _Ahha! Peyton probably knows…or maybe he's at her house…couldn't hurt to try._

"Taxi! I need to go somewhere else…"

Five minutes later she was dropped off at the Sawyer residence.

"Peyton!! Peeyyyttonnn!!" she screamed.

"Upstairs!" she faintly heard.

Rushing upstairs, Brooke stopped in her tracts as she saw the sight in front of her. Peyton was painting her room. Red. For years, ever since high school ended, the room was black, eventually dubbed "the death room" by Brooke since it appeared so gloomy and "emo." After all these years, why the sudden change? Why now? And why red?

"You're painting your room."

"You're back from New York." Peyton smirked. _Took her long enough._

"You're painting your room," Brooke repeated.

The blonde looked up, nonchalantly. "Yes, we already distinguished that."

"You haven't painted your room since high school."

"Yeah, I decided that I needed a change. And what better to do that than paint my room? Plus, I think change is good."

"Why red?"

"Mmm, I was just feeling it….not that I hate twenty questions or anything, but what are you doing here anyway? When did you get back?"

This question brought Brooke back to reality and she remembered why she had come there in the first place.

"Where's Nathan?"

"What?" Peyton looked up, not expecting this question.

"Where's Nathan? I need to talk to Nathan."

"I really don't know where, Brooke. He came here earlier and left just a few minutes before you came over here. He never said where he was going. He just left." Brooke sighed and leaned into the wall behind her, closing her eyes. "But, here. Think of the one place he would be at. The one place _you_ would be at if you were in his shoes."

_The one place you would be at…_She opened her eyes, a look of realization lying within her emerald eyes.

"Peyt, I got to go. The kids are still in the cab. Can you get them inside?"

"Yeah, yeah, yeah. You go ahead. I'll get them. Go get Nathan." She motioned for her friend to leave.

Brooke rushed to the door but stopped short.

"Thanks Peyt. For everything. For sending him, for being there, for everything. Thank you."

"Yeah, yeah. It was nothing, Brooke. You're my best friend. You deserve the world's happiness." They shared a smile. "Now, go!"

Brooke laughed then rushed out, ready to confront the man she loved.

Peyton chuckled to herself and then looked up. "Thanks, Big Guy. I knew I always liked You."

She continued painting, the red hue overtaking the black. Love was finally conquering hate. The walls were finally breaking down.

"_**Love**__ conquers __**all**__." –Virgil_

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He sat there, staring out at the waves. They were calmer than usual, slowing crashing onto one another until they reached his feet. The sun was starting to set, the vast mass filled with blues, purples, pinks, and a big scarlet sun. It was gorgeous, reminding him of that day, the day that changed everything.

"You were always big on reminiscing, weren't you?" Her raspy voice made him jerk his head back, staring at the approaching figure in surprise.

"What are you doing here?" He managed to let out, his mind still processing that the woman he loved was standing a mere foot away.

"I decided to stop running," she took a seat a little away and stared out into the horizon.

"You stopped running?" His voice was full of hope and anticipation. How much he had yearned to hear those words. Now that she had said them, there was a part of him that still couldn't believe it. Just this morning, he was on the verge of loosing all hope of them being together.

"I stopped running," she repeated.

"Why now?" He asked the infamous question. _Why now? Why not then? Why now tomorrow? Why now?_

"Because now, I have finally broken every wall, every barrier, every ounce of protection that used to be around my heart." She turned around and stared into his deep blue eyes, the eyes she had fallen in love with. It was at this time that he saw how truly sincere and vulnerable she looked, with all her facades demolished. "Nathan, I was so scared. I was scared of getting hurt again. I hate how I felt when I saw you with Haley. It killed me. And I never ever wanted to feel like that again. That's why I broke away. That's why I began running."

"And now?" he asked.

"Now…now, I'm done being scared. I want a family with you, Nate. I want to live with you till I'm old and wrinkled and unattractive with our children growing up right beside us. I want to watch you teach Aaron how to play basketball and Shelly how to stay away from boys. I want to wake up every morning and know that the first thing I see is you. I want to be with you, Nathan. I'm done running. I'm done playing games. I know that you won't hurt me again, and I trust you with every ounce of my heart. I know that you love me and I sure as hell know how I feel," she said, mirroring his words from earlier.

His lips slowly started forming a smile. "And how is that?"

"I am utterly and eternally in love you with, Nathan Scott. You and only you." She, too, was now beaming, dimples in full display.

"You know, that's a good thing because I sure as hell love you, too." He leaned in and instantly enveloped her in a huge hug, wrapping his arms all around her and kissing her forehead over and over again.

"I thought I was going to be too late," she whispered.

"Never. I would still be waiting for you even if it was the last thing I did," he whispered back.

"_Meeting you was __**fate**__, becoming your friend was a __**choice**__, but falling in __**love**__ with you I had __**no **__**control**__ over.__" –Anonymous_

She closed her eyes and breathed in his cologne, the him she so dearly had missed, the him she so dearly loved. They were finally together. They could finally be happy. Love had won after all. Everything was perfect.

"Hey, will you promise me something?" he asked, all of a sudden.

She looked up at him, curiosity running through her. "Anything."

"When all this is over…your divorce, custody agreement, living arrangements, the drama…will you marry me?"

She gazed into his eyes as he awaited her response, his stomach fluttering with a million butterflies inside. All of a sudden, her gorgeous dimpled smile flew onto her face and her eyes started twinkling like nighttime stars.

"Scott, I thought you would never ask."

Then, slowly, she leaned upward and captured his lips in hers, sealing that fateful night with a kiss.

**THE END**

"_**Love is always patient and kind; it is never jealous, love is never boastful or conceited; it is never rude or selfish; it does not take offense, and is not resentful. Love takes no pleasure in other people's sins but delights in the truth; it is always ready to excuse, to trust, to hope, and to endure whatever **__**comes**__**. Love does not come to an **__**end.**__"__-Bible_

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**Hello Readers!**

**That's the end! Hope you guys enjoyed the ending! That Fateful Night is finally done! I send another round of thanks to all of you who have reviewed and read my story. You guys are awesome! Oh, btw, the song from the beginning is "Wannabe," by the Spice Girls. And some of you asked where the quotes are from and I just got them off of the internet. The last quote, from the Bible, is one of my favorites.**

**I may start a new Brathan story soon so if you have any ideas/comments/ suggestions/etc. whatever really, feel free to tell me. **

**Remember to R&R!!! Thanks! **

**Hope you have an awesome day: )**

**Love,**

**Apple01**

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